‘Dawson’s Creek’ Star Michelle Williams Breaks Her Silence on James Van Der Beek’s Death

Michelle Williams is “constantly” thinking of her late Dawson’s Creek co-star James Van Der Beek following the actor’s death last month at age 48.

The Dying for Sex actress, who took home the win for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series at Sunday’s Actor Awards, broke her silence on Van Der Beek’s death to Entertainment Tonight as she revealed she was “thinking about him and … about his family constantly.”

“I also just want to say it’s been such an amazing thing as James is a friend and a friend of the family to see the response in the wake of his passing,” she continued, referencing the GoFundMe created to raise money for Van Der Beek’s wife and six kids in the wake of his death and journey with stage 3 colorectal cancer. “I just really want to say thank you to each and every person who has contributed to sustaining their lives and their children’s lives. It’s an incredibly meaningful thing to witness.” 

The GoFundMe, which was set up to cover “the costs of James’s medical care and the extended fight against cancer” that left the family “out of funds,” has raised more than $2.7 million as of Monday.

The Varsity Blues actor’s wife, Kimberly Van Der Beek, announced his death on Feb. 11. “Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning. He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace,” she said in a statement on social media at the time. “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.”

Since then, Van Der Beek’s Dawson’s Creek co-stars have shared their memories of the late star, with Katie Holmes penning a handwritten note shared to social media “with a heavy heart.”

“James, thank you. To share a space with your imagination is sacred — breathing the same air in the land of make believe and trusting that each other’s hearts are safe in their expression,” she wrote, in part. “These are some of the memories, along with laughter, conversations about life, James Taylor songs — adventures of a unique youth.”

Praising Van Der Beek for his “compassion, bravery, selflessness and strength,” Holmes added, “An appreciation for life with the integrity that life is art — creating a beautiful marriage, six loving children — the journey of a hero.”

Holmes continued that she mourns the death of her late castmate “with a heart holding the reality of his absence and deep gratitude for his imprint on it,” concluding her note with a message to the late actor’s wife and children: “We are here for you always. And will always be there to shower you with love and compassion.”