Krysten Ritter, 'Dawson's Creek' stars react to James Van Der Beek's death as friends launch GoFundMe

James Van Der Beek, whom audiences archetypal met arsenic the young, floppy-haired pb successful the melodrama “Dawson’s Creek,” died Wednesday astatine 48. The actor’s co-stars and collaborators paid tribute to the actor.

Van Der Beek’s wife, Kimberly, announced the quality successful an Instagram station and asked for “peaceful privateness arsenic we grieve our loving husband, father, son, brother, and friend.”

“He met his last days with courage, faith, and grace. There is overmuch to stock regarding his wishes, emotion for humanity, and the sacredness of time. Those days volition come,” the connection read.

The histrion battled colorectal cancer, a information helium revealed successful November 2024. Following his death, Van Der Beek’s friends organized a GoFundMe campaign, which had collected implicit $450,000 arsenic of aboriginal Wednesday afternoon.

Van Der Beek’s woman and their six children “are facing an uncertain future,” the GoFundMe leafage reads. The outgo of his aesculapian attraction “left the household retired of funds. They are moving hard to enactment successful their home.”

Droves of celebrities paid tribute to the “Dawson’s Creek” star.

Krysten Ritter, who starred alongside Van Der Beek successful the ABC sitcom “Don’t Trust the B— successful Apartment 23,” posted astir the “really hard news” on with pictures of the 2 of them successful a bid of messages connected her Instagram story.

“Beautiful quality wrong and out. Smart, funny, empathic, kind, talented and conscionable axenic magic,” Ritter wrote. “I’m truthful grateful for our relationship and truthful heartbroken. All my emotion goes retired to his astonishing woman Kimberly and their children.”

Ritter concluded her tribute by penning “Love you truthful much, James and fake James,” a notation to the parody of himself that Van Der Beek played successful “Don’t Trust the B—.”

Busy Phillips, who joined “Dawson’s Creek” for the show’s past 2 seasons, honored Van Der Beek connected her Instagram. She expressed heartbreak for the actor’s household and “anyone who loved his enactment oregon had the pleasance of gathering him.”

Van Der Beek “was 1 successful a cardinal and helium volition beryllium everlastingly missed and I don’t cognize what other to say,” Phillips wrote. “He was my person and I loved him and I’m truthful grateful for our relationship each these years.”

Many celebrities expressed condolences successful the comments conception of the station announcing the actor’s death, including Chad Michael Murray, who appeared alongside Van Der Beek successful “Dawson’s Creek” and aboriginal “One Tree Hill.”

“James was a giant,” Murray wrote. “We’re truthful so truthful atrocious for what you’re going through. His words, creation and humanity inspired each of america — helium inspired america to beryllium amended successful each ways. God bless you guys.”

Kerr Smith, who starred alongside Van Der Beek successful “Dawson’s Creek,” besides paid tribute to the actor.

“I’m truthful grateful for being capable to telephone James a brother. I’ll miss him deeply. Rest easy,” Smith wrote successful a remark nether an Instagram station astir his death.

Stacy Keibler, a retired wrestler and cheerleader, got to walk Van Der Beek’s last days with him, which she described arsenic “a existent acquisition from God.”

“In these past days, you taught maine much astir being contiguous than immoderate publication ever could,” Keibler wrote successful a touching tribute. “You showed maine what it looks similar to spot God’s plan, adjacent erstwhile it breaks your heart. Especially erstwhile it breaks your heart.”

Despite the crab diagnosis and traveling “the satellite battling truthful overmuch ... that grin ne'er near you,” Keibler wrote.

Austin Nichols, who besides starred successful “One Tree Hill” and had a inheritance relation successful “Varsity Blues,” paid homage to Van Der Beek successful an Instagram post.

“James represented thing to aspire to,” Nichols wrote. “As a friend, hubby and father, I cognize helium was adjacent much almighty and inspiring. You volition beryllium missed.”

Emma Slater, a nonrecreational dancer connected “Dancing With the Stars” who was partnered with Van Der Beek for Season 28, expressed devastation implicit the actor’s death, adding that “he is and volition ever beryllium household to me.”

“Love you truthful overmuch James,” Slater wrote. “The antheral that you are, you tin beryllium arrogant of. So grateful that I got to beryllium determination to accidental goodbye to you.”

Actor Jason-Shane Scott revealed, nether the station announcing the actor’s death, a “nerve-wracking moment” helium shared with Van Der Beek. Both actors had auditioned for the aforesaid relation successful “Varsity Blues,” which yet went to the “Dawson’s Creek” star.

“He was already the biggest tv prima of our generation, but we had immoderate bully chats astir it all. His full beingness up of him,” Scott wrote. “He of course, got the portion and I retrieve feeling blessed it was him. It ne'er makes consciousness wherefore we suffer the bully ones excessively soon.”

Roger Avary, who directed “The Rules of Attraction,” a 2002 movie that Van Der Beek starred in, wrote connected X that the histrion was “a pillar of spot to maine and my household during the hardest of times.”

The brace had precocious had “a precise philosophical and existential telephone conversation,” Avary wrote.

“I person ne'er known anyone other rather similar him, and seldom felt truthful adjacent a moving connection, and my bosom is breached astatine the loss, and my thoughts and prayers are with his woman and children,” Avary wrote. “God bless you, James. I emotion you forever.”

Other stars crossed entertainment, including “Modern Family” prima Eric Stonestreet, “Teen Wolf” histrion Tyler Posey and “Grey’s Anatomy‘s” Kate Walsh each shared their condolences successful the comments conception of the family’s Instagram announcement.

“I’m truthful bittersweet for your beauteous family. While James’ bequest volition ever unrecorded on, this is simply a immense nonaccomplishment to not conscionable your household but the world. F— Cancer,” Sarah Michelle Gellar, wide known for her pb relation successful “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” different seminal late-’90s WB precocious schoolhouse drama, wrote successful the comments conception of the station revealing quality of his death.

Ashton Kutcher, a prima of different ‘90s deed series, “That ‘70s Show,” wrote connected X that helium “had the bully luck of knowing and increasing with this guy.”

Joseph Kahn, who co-wrote with Van Der Beek “Power/Rangers,” a superhero instrumentality abbreviated movie based connected the “Power Rangers” franchise, shared a tribute to the histrion connected X.

“There’s a changeable successful present wherever helium lifts his footwear connected the array and the camera spins with him. He smiled approvingly erstwhile I blocked it and played to the camera. He knew,” Kahn wrote. “He gave maine his clip and enactment graciously.”

“Rest successful Peace beloved James Van Der Beek,” Marlee Matlin wrote connected X. The 2 ne'er worked together, but some separately impermanent starred connected “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” and were portion of a sheet astatine the Paley Center for Media honoring the amusement successful 2020.

Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote successful an Instagram communicative that his “whole heart” is with Van Der Beek’s family. Miranda stepped successful for Van Der Beek during the “Dawson’s Creek” reunion successful September erstwhile the histrion was incapable to be owed to his illness.

Actor Paul Walter Hauser shared a graphic of the magnitude of wealth helium had helped rise for Van Der Beek’s crab attraction successful an Instagram post.

“I cognize you’re successful Heaven being pampered with love. The Van Der Beeks volition beryllium successful our regular prayers and we’ll beryllium drumming up immoderate wealth to enactment your beauteous family,” Hauser wrote. “Thanks for the assemblage of enactment and for being 1 of the bully guys.”

“What a heartbreaking loss. So overmuch emotion to you, Kimberly, and to your kids, arsenic you navigate this tender time,” Jennifer Garner commented successful the station announcing his death.

Van Der Beek’s past acting recognition was for his relation successful the Tubi YA movie “Sidelined: The QB and Me” and its sequel, which came retired past year. The histrion played Leroy Lahey, the begetter of the movie’s protagonist, Drayton, played by Noah Beck.

Beck posted a tribute to Van Der Beek — “the champion mentor I could inquire for” — connected his Instagram story.

“James u were the best. So kind, truthful caring, truthful thoughtful, truthful talented, large father, and conscionable an implicit inspiration of a quality being,” Beck wrote. “I consciousness truthful incredibly fortunate to person met u and stock the surface with u arsenic my father.”