{"id":184116,"date":"2025-07-31T19:28:47","date_gmt":"2025-07-31T19:28:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2025\/07\/31\/james-van-der-beek-talks-parenting-with-cancer-they-know\/"},"modified":"2025-07-31T19:28:47","modified_gmt":"2025-07-31T19:28:47","slug":"james-van-der-beek-talks-parenting-with-cancer-they-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2025\/07\/31\/james-van-der-beek-talks-parenting-with-cancer-they-know\/","title":{"rendered":"James Van Der Beek Talks Parenting with Cancer: &#8216;They Know&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 3<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>James Van Der Beek is battling <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehollywoodgossip.com\/2025\/03\/james-van-der-beek-reveals-serious-cancer-diagnosis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">stage 3 cancer<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>He has been open about his health battle, encouraging others to undergo screenings before it\u2019s too late.<\/p>\n<p>But there is more to his cancer journey than medical treatments \u2014 because he is not going through this alone.<\/p>\n<p>Van Der Beek is sharing how he and his wife discuss his cancer with their children, who have a wide age range. Keeping secrets, he says, would only make the situation more painful for them.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><noscript><\/noscript><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0731_jamesvanderbeek_03-Cropped-1024x576.png\" alt=\"James Van Der Beek on the Today show in July 2025.\" class=\"wp-image-531413 lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0731_jamesvanderbeek_03-Cropped-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0731_jamesvanderbeek_03-Cropped-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0731_jamesvanderbeek_03-Cropped-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0731_jamesvanderbeek_03-Cropped-728x410.png 728w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0731_jamesvanderbeek_03-Cropped-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0731_jamesvanderbeek_03-Cropped-1080x608.png 1080w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0731_jamesvanderbeek_03-Cropped-1200x675.png 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0731_jamesvanderbeek_03-Cropped.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0731_jamesvanderbeek_03-Cropped.png\" loading=\"lazy\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">On \u2018Today,\u2019 James Van Der Beek opens up about how his family deals with his cancer journey by his side.<span class=\"image-caption-credit\"> (Image Credit: NBC)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-james-van-der-beek-and-his-wife-spoke-to-all-of-their-children-about-his-cancer\">James Van Der Beek and his wife spoke to all of their children about his cancer<\/h2>\n<p>On the Wednesday, July 30 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=hPf8ttVkMWk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">episode<\/a> of <em>Today<\/em>, James Van Der Beek explained to hosts and to NBC viewers how he and his wife, Kimberly, had discussed his illness with their six children.<\/p>\n<p>In August 2023, the actor received his diagnosis of colorectal cancer. <\/p>\n<p>He went public with the news in November 2023. The cancer is in stage three.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m far from an expert,\u201d 48-year-old Van Der Beek admitted when it comes to talking to kids about cancer. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"James Van Der Beek on Support From Kids During Cancer Battle\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/hPf8ttVkMWk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>\u201cBut,\u201d Van Der Beek explained, \u201cour approach was just to be as honest as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He reasoned: \u201cas honest to the degree of their understanding, right? Because they know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His eldest child, Olivia, is 14. Joshua is 13, Annabel is 11, Emilia is 9, and Gwendolyn is 6. <\/p>\n<p>Their youngest, Jeremiah, is only 2. Likely, Jeremiah is the only one of them too young to grasp anything more than \u201c<em>sick.<\/em>\u201c<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0731_jamesvanderbeek_02-1024x576.png\" alt=\"The children of James Van Der Beek.\" class=\"wp-image-531414\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0731_jamesvanderbeek_02-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0731_jamesvanderbeek_02-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0731_jamesvanderbeek_02-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0731_jamesvanderbeek_02-728x410.png 728w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0731_jamesvanderbeek_02-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0731_jamesvanderbeek_02-1080x608.png 1080w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0731_jamesvanderbeek_02-1200x675.png 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0731_jamesvanderbeek_02.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0731_jamesvanderbeek_02-1024x576.png\" alt=\"The children of James Van Der Beek.\" class=\"wp-image-531414 lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0731_jamesvanderbeek_02-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0731_jamesvanderbeek_02-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0731_jamesvanderbeek_02-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0731_jamesvanderbeek_02-728x410.png 728w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0731_jamesvanderbeek_02-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0731_jamesvanderbeek_02-1080x608.png 1080w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0731_jamesvanderbeek_02-1200x675.png 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0731_jamesvanderbeek_02.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0731_jamesvanderbeek_02.png\" loading=\"lazy\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">During James Van Der Beek\u2019s appearance on \u2018Today,\u2019 the NBC program showed a photo of his large family.<span class=\"image-caption-credit\"> (Image Credit: NBC)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-children-notice-things\">Children notice things<\/h2>\n<p>At the risk of understating things, James Van Der Beek noted that even his youngest children can \u201csense that Dad\u2019s having a tough day.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>He continued: \u201cThey know if Dad\u2019s in pain. They know, and so by not telling them, I think you\u2019re confusing them even more.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Perhaps his biggest advice is that parents should allow their children to provide emotional support.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned=\"\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/DLs37wAS_TO\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\"\/>\n<p>\u201cWhen you tell them what you\u2019re doing and you tell them the approach, they can see it and they can feel it,\u201d Van Der Beek explained.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd I think it\u2019s also, your journey is their journey,\u201d he added. \u201cI have kids making me tea. \u2018Dad, what do you need?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Van Der Beek gushed: <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s been a lot of beauty that\u2019s come out of it, but I would love to save everybody [from] this journey, which is why I\u2019m saying get screened.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0731_jamesvanderbeek_01-Cropped-1024x576.png\" alt=\"James Van Der Beek smiles on Today in July 2025.\" class=\"wp-image-531415\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0731_jamesvanderbeek_01-Cropped-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0731_jamesvanderbeek_01-Cropped-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0731_jamesvanderbeek_01-Cropped-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0731_jamesvanderbeek_01-Cropped-728x410.png 728w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0731_jamesvanderbeek_01-Cropped-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0731_jamesvanderbeek_01-Cropped-1080x608.png 1080w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0731_jamesvanderbeek_01-Cropped-1200x675.png 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0731_jamesvanderbeek_01-Cropped.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\"\/><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0731_jamesvanderbeek_01-Cropped-1024x576.png\" alt=\"James Van Der Beek smiles on Today in July 2025.\" class=\"wp-image-531415 lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0731_jamesvanderbeek_01-Cropped-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0731_jamesvanderbeek_01-Cropped-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0731_jamesvanderbeek_01-Cropped-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0731_jamesvanderbeek_01-Cropped-728x410.png 728w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0731_jamesvanderbeek_01-Cropped-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0731_jamesvanderbeek_01-Cropped-1080x608.png 1080w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0731_jamesvanderbeek_01-Cropped-1200x675.png 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0731_jamesvanderbeek_01-Cropped.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0731_jamesvanderbeek_01-Cropped.png\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">For James Van Der Beek, having his family\u2019s support during his cancer journey has meant so much.<span class=\"image-caption-credit\"> (Image Credit: NBC)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-cancer-screening-saves-lives\">Cancer screening saves lives<\/h2>\n<p>Since his diagnosis, James Van Der Beek has been an advocate for screening. The biggest key to beating cancer is to catch it early and begin treatments immediately.<\/p>\n<p>He is perhaps best known for playing the titular Dawson in <em>Dawson\u2019s Creek<\/em>, but his career has taken him all over the place. <\/p>\n<p>From films like <em>Varsity Blues<\/em> and <em>The Rules of Attraction<\/em> to portraying himself on <em>Don\u2019t Trust The B<\/em>, he is a one-man acting institution.<\/p>\n<p>We are all rooting for Van Der Beek. And, clearly, his children are supporting him along the way.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async defer src=\"https:\/\/platform.instagram.com\/en_US\/embeds.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehollywoodgossip.com\/2025\/07\/james-van-der-beek-cancer-parenting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Reading Time: 3 minutes James Van Der Beek is battling stage 3 cancer. He has been open about his health battle, encouraging others to undergo screenings before it\u2019s too late. But there is more to his cancer journey than medical treatments \u2014 because he is not going through this alone. Van Der Beek is sharing [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":184118,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-184116","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-hollywood"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/184116","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=184116"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/184116\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/184118"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=184116"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=184116"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=184116"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}