Steven Spielberg, Dawson Leery’s favourite director, makes generous donation to James Van Der Beek’s family

Steven Spielberg and his wife Kate Capshaw have donated $25,000 (£18,000) to an online fundraiser for James Van Der Beek’s family, following the actor’s death aged 48.

The Dawson’s Creek star died on Wednesday (11 February), two and a half years after being diagnosed with bowel cancer.

He is survived by his wife Kimberly and their six children – daughters Olivia, Annabel, Emilia and Gwendolyn, and sons Joshua and Jeremiah – who, the GoFundMe page explains, are “facing an uncertain future” as “the costs of James’s medical care and the extended fight against cancer have left the family out of funds”.

The fundraiser, set up by friends of the Van Der Beek family, has already raised over $2m (£1.5m) – with one large donation coming from Hollywood director Spielberg, who was famously idolised by Van Der Beek’s character in Dawson’s Creek.

The hit coming-of-age series followed a group of close friends, led by wannabe director Dawson Leery, living in the fictional town of Capeside, Massachusetts.

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There have so far been more than 40,000 contributions to the GoFundMe, with donations also coming from Wicked director John M Chu and talent manager Guy Oseary, who have each added $10,000 (£7k).

The fundraiser initially had a target of $500,000 (£367k), which was hit within just hours of the page being launched.

Its organisers thanked donors for their contributions on Thursday (12 February), writing in an update on the page: “[The Van Der Beek family] are working hard to stay in their home and to ensure the children can continue their education and maintain some stability during this incredibly difficult time.

“Your generosity will help cover essential living expenses, pay bills, and support the children’s education. Every donation, no matter the size, will help Kimberly and her family find hope and security as they rebuild their lives.”

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Van Der Beek, who publicly shared his cancer diagnosis in November 2024, had spoken about the cost of his treatment, and last year auctioned off wardrobe items and memorabilia from Dawson’s Creek, as well as his 1999 American football film Varsity Blues to help him with “the financial cost of fighting cancer”.

His Dawson’s Creek castmates also rallied around to help raise money during his cancer battle. In September last year, Michelle Williams organised a cast reunion for a live charity reading of the first episode.

The event raised money for the charity F Cancer. Van Der Beek had been due to take part, but was forced to withdraw due to “two stomach viruses”.

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Van Der Beek first met his wife Kimberly, a producer, during a spiritual trip to Israel, and the couple married a year later in a ceremony in Tel Aviv in 2010.

“Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning,” she said in the Instagram post announcing his death. “He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace. There is much to share regarding his wishes, love for humanity, and the sacredness of time.

“Those days will come. For now we ask for peaceful privacy as we grieve our loving husband, father, son, brother, and friend.”