James Van Der Beek, the star of 1990s teen drama “Dawson’s Creek,” died on Wednesday at the age of 48 after a battle with cancer, his wife announced on social media.
The Varsity Blues star is survived by his wife Kimberly Van Der Beek and their kids Olivia, 15, Joshua, 13, Annabel, 12, Emilia, 9, Gwendolyn, 7, and 4-year-old Jeremiah.
A GoFundMe was created after his death announcement to raise $500,000 to help support Van Der Beek’s widow and six children. It has garnered over 26,000 donations and raised at least $1.3 million within 24 hours.
The top donors of the GoFundMe include Wicked director Jon M. Chu and talent manager and investor Guy Oseary, who each donated $10,000. The Marla Maples Foundation, a non-profit organization set up by actress Marla Maples, contributed $5,000.
The actor was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer in 2023, and announced it to PEOPLE in November 2024.
Fans and fellow actors shared tributes on social media, recalling the influence he had on their lives and careers.
“While James’ legacy will always live on, this is a huge loss to not just your family but the world,” Sarah Michelle Gellar wrote on social media.
Fellow Dawson’s Creek costar Busy Philipps also shared a tribute on Instagram, calling the actor “one in a billion.” She wrote that she was “profoundly heartbroken for his incredible wife Kimberly and their six magical children” and urged fans to visit the GoFundMe created to support them.
In addition to tributes, a number of celebrities made financial donations including Zoe Saldana, Derek Hough and Danica McKellar to their GoFundMe page.