‘Dancing With the Stars’: James Van Der Beek Pens Heartfelt Note to Wife Kimberly Following Miscarriage

This Thanksgiving had a different meaning for James Van Der Beek. Following the announcement on Dancing With The Stars that his wife, Kimberly, had suffered a miscarriage, the Dawson’s Creek star ended up being the surprise elimination of the season. His exit, though, meant he could spend the last week of the competition in which he would have been competing for the Mirror Ball Trophy, with his wife and kids during the trying time. To no surprise, he spent the past holiday reflecting on his wife and all she’s gone through.

“In a place of newfound gratitude to have [Kimberly] in this world today. Got really scary for a minute there — scary enough to wake me up to how much appreciation I have for so many things I just take for granted,” he wrote on Instagram.

He continued, “”Also… thankful for all of you,. I’ll admit, I paused for a moment, wondering if it was healthy to be thankful for one’s IG following, but it’s the quality of people on here I’m grateful for, not so much the quantity. I’d never been so open (especially with tragedy) as I’ve been these last few weeks, and you responded with love and support and prayers and shared your own stories, and we felt the energy… and it helped,” James concluded. “So thank you. Also grateful that [Amanda Demme] was at the same Thanksgiving last night, who saw Kimberly resting after dinner and turned it into this photo.”

He and his wife share five kids, four daughters and one son.

Van Der Beek’s run on Dancing With The Stars came to a shocking end during the semifinals round. The decision to send him even came as a surprise to Ally Brooks, who eventually would go on to finish third in the competition. The Fifth Harmony member volunteered to go home instead of Van Der Beek.

“I don’t believe it’s fair that he was sent home, so I just wanted to give my spot to him,” she shared in an interview with Entertainment Tonight. “He’s been through so much and he’s overcome so many things. Especially this past week, I just felt it was right to give it to him. Obviously he didn’t accept it.”

While his run came to an end before making it to the finale, Van Der Beek also showcased how much his body transformed while competing on the show in a recent Instagram post.