James Van Der Beek Skips ‘Dawson’s Creek’ Reunion as He Battles Cancer at His Texas Home

Actor James Van Der Beek has revealed he will no longer be attending the "Dawson's Creek" reunion due to ongoing health struggles following his cancer diagnosis—after revealing the changes he made at his Texas home to fight the disease.

The 48-year-old took to Instagram to reveal that he had developed two different stomach viruses and was "gutted" that he would not be able to attend the event; however, he noted that there would be an "understudy" in his place.

"This is the evening I’d been looking forward to most since my angel Michelle Williams said she was putting it together, way back in January. So you can imagine how gutted I was when two stomach viruses conspired to knock me out of commission and keep me grounded at the worst possible moment," he said in his social media message.

The cast, which included Williams, Katie Holmes, Joshua Jackson, Mary Beth, John Wesley Shipp, Mary-Margaret Humes, Nina Repeta, Kerr Smith, Meredith Monroe, and Busy Philipps, are coming together again at the Richard Rodgers Theatre in New York City for a live reading of the show's pilot episode.

"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," the actor said.

He also noted that his replacement is none other than Lin Manuel Miranda, who he joked is "someone my kids would definitely consider an upgrade over me. … Plus, he already knows how to get to the theater, so that’s convenient."

The news comes after Van Der Beek admitted that his ongoing cancer battle has become a "full-time job," while opening up about the many lifestyle changes he has made in a bid to beat the disease.

Van Der Beek first revealed in November 2024 that he had been diagnosed with Stage 3 colorectal cancer, while sharing a series of images of himself and his family at their Austin, TX, ranch, where he has been spending much of his time as he undergoes treatment.

The actor previously opened up about the one symptom of his colorectal cancer that he ignored, admitting that he initially attributed the physical change to his coffee routine.

The change in question? Minor irregularities in his bowel movements.

"There wasn’t any red flag or something glaring," he told Healthline, admitting that he believed himself to be in tip-top physical health when he was diagnosed.

"I was healthy. I was doing the cold plunge. I was in amazing cardiovascular shape, and I had stage 3 cancer, and I had no idea."

At the time of his diagnosis, the actor—who left Hollywood and relocated to Texas in 2020—told People that he had been dealing with his diagnosis "privately" with the support of his loved ones, explaining that he was "feeling good" despite his health struggles.

Now, he's lifted the lid on his cancer fight—while also recalling how he broke the news of his diagnosis to his wife, Kimberly, and their six children: Olivia, 14, Joshua, 13, Annabel, 11, Emilia, 9, Gwendolyn, 7, and Jeremiah, 3.

"I’m far from an expert, but our approach was just be as honest as possible, as honest to the degree of their understanding, right?" he said during an appearance on the "Today" show. "Because they know. They can sense that Dad’s having a tough day. They know if Dad’s in pain. They know, and so by not telling them, I think you’re confusing them even more.

"And just allow yourself to be surprised by their resiliency. When you tell them what you’re doing, and you tell them the approach, they can see it and they can feel it, and I think it’s also your journey is their journey."

Van Der Beek added that he's come to accept that his cancer will likely be a part of his life for many years to come.

“I’m just on the journey," he said. "It's a process. It'll probably be a process for the rest of my life."

He revealed that making lifestyle changes to his diet and workout routine has become his "full-time" job.

The actor noted that he has been focusing on finding “the beauty of just taking things a little bit more slowly and prioritizing rest and really allowing that to be the job.”

Van Der Beek then encouraged people to get screened, explaining that when he got screened at age 46, he didn't know medical professionals had changed the recommended screening age to 45.

“I thought I was way ahead of the game. I ate as well as I could. I was healthy. I was in amazing cardiovascular shape. There was no reason in my mind that I should have gotten a positive diagnosis," he said.

Van Der Beek revealed that he has made multiple changes to his health and wellness routine since his diagnosis, including following a keto diet, doing yoga, and adopting a stretching regimen.

The actor is still managing to find time for his on-screen projects—including a role in the upcoming "Legally Blonde" prequel, "Elle."

"The greatest thing about work is a cancer doesn't exist between action and cut. It was fun to drop in and just have a blast because it's such a great cast, a great production, and everybody out there is really talented," he said.

His latest update about his cancer journey comes eight months after he revealed his initial diagnosis, explaining in an Instagram post that he had originally intended to share the news in an interview with People—until he learned that a tabloid publication was planning to run a story about it.

"There’s no playbook for how to announce these things, but I’d planned on talking about it at length with People magazine at some point soon ... to raise awareness and tell my story on my own terms," he wrote in the caption. "But that plan had to be altered early this morning when I was informed that a tabloid was going to run with the news.

"I’ve been dealing with this privately until now, getting treatment and dialing in my overall health with greater focus than ever before. I’m in a good place and feeling strong. It’s been quite the initiation, and I’ll tell you more when I’m ready.

"Apologies to all the people in my life who I’d planned on telling myself. Nothing about this process has occurred on my preferred timeline… But we roll with it, taking each surprise as a signpost, pointing us toward a greater destiny than we would have discovered without divine intervention.

"Please know that my family and I deeply appreciate all the love and support."

The actor's diagnosis came 26 years after he first shot to fame while starring as the titular character in the hit series "Dawson's Creek," which ran from 1998 to 2003. Van Der Beek went on to star in a variety of other series, including "Varsity Blues" and "CSI: Cyber."

He played a fictionalized version of himself in the show "Don't Trust the B in Apartment 23."

While Van Der Beek's Hollywood career has continued to flourish, the actor has turned his back on the traditional A-lister lifestyle, eschewing the trappings of Los Angeles fame in favor of a quieter life on a ranch in Texas.

The actor and his family moved to their Austin ranch in 2020 to find more "space" and a "connection to nature," something that he wanted his six children to experience away from the bright lights of Los Angeles.

At the time, his wife described their new home—and its stunning natural surroundings—as having the "capacity to heal ... to hug you and heal you.

"We watch the sunset. We know what phase the moon is in. We can actually see stars, which is a new thing," he told Fox News at the time of the move. "We love it. We have a lot more space. We all need a more immediate connection to nature. It's been a really, really great move, and the kids are really happy."

Their wooded property includes a main house, several cabins, a pool, and a backyard with views of the Pedernales River.

“The space available in Texas ... where we’re at, it’s expansive and there’s a lot of space and I feel that for a big family ... it was just really, really necessary for us,” Kimberly said in an Instagram Live session.

According to Realtor.com®, the 5,149-square-foot home that the Van Der Beeks are residing in features five bedrooms and three bathrooms.

The main house includes a commercial kitchen, balconies with sky and river views, an outdoor living space with a pool, and a tram to the river. The grounds include a barn perfect for throwing a party.

The waterfront residence is a place to “channel your ‘hippie cowboy,’” noted an old listing. At the time, Kimberly had mentioned that they had not yet purchased a property, but instead planned to lease first before deciding if they wanted to buy in the Lone Star State.

"We're going to try Texas out for a year and really give a lot of love to this property," she said on Instagram Live, they told People at the time.

The "compound," as she called it, had plenty of room for their family and guests.

"We have incredible landlords, they're magical, so they're really letting us dip into it and really steward the land as if it's our own and go wild with it. Which is really cool," she added.