James Van Der Beek‘s wife, Kimberly Van Der Beek, has spoken out after he dropped out of the Dawson’s Creek reunion that was planned in his honor amid his cancer battle.
While James, 48, will not be in attendance at the event at the Richard Rodgers Theatre in New York City on Monday, September 22, Kimberly, 43, and their kids will be there to represent the family.
After James announced in an Instagram post on Sunday, September 21, that he was unable to attend, Kimberly assured fans she would still be there. “Was important to him we come!!” she wrote in the comments section, per People.
In his statement, James explained he would not be at the event because he was dealing with “two stomach viruses.” He continued, “Despite every effort … I won’t get to be there. I won’t get to stand on that stage and thank every soul in the theater for showing up for me, and against cancer, when I needed it most.”
However, James insisted he found an understudy who was eager to take his place. “A ridiculously overqualified replacement who would have been #1 on my wishlist (had I ever dreamed he’d be available). Someone my kids would definitely consider an upgrade over me… Plus, he already knows how to get to the theater. So that’s convenient,” he wrote. “The role of ‘Dawson’, usually played by James Van Der Beek… Will be played by Lin-Manuel Miranda.”
The Dawson’s Creek reunion will feature a live reading of the show’s 1998 pilot episode, and will be attended by stars Katie Holmes, Joshua Jackson, Mary Beth Peil, John Wesley Shipp, Mary-Margaret Humes, Nina Repeta, Kerr Smith, Meredith Monroe and Busy Philipps. Philipps, 46, Smith, 53, and Monroe, 55, all joined the cast after the first season, so they will participate in the reading by taking on different roles.
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Williams, 45, came up with the idea for the fundraiser after Van Der Beek, who starred on the show as Dawson Leery from 1998 until 2003, announced he was diagnosed with cancer in November 2024.
In addition to the reading, the fundraiser will feature an auction with items donated by the cast members and producers. The cast will also posed for photo ops with fans, which cost $650 per photo.
