{"id":247108,"date":"2026-06-18T21:23:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T21:23:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/18\/busy-philipps-talks-grief-after-james-van-der-beeks-death-says-watching-dawsons-creek-would-be-hard\/"},"modified":"2026-06-18T21:23:00","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T21:23:00","slug":"busy-philipps-talks-grief-after-james-van-der-beeks-death-says-watching-dawsons-creek-would-be-hard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/18\/busy-philipps-talks-grief-after-james-van-der-beeks-death-says-watching-dawsons-creek-would-be-hard\/","title":{"rendered":"Busy Philipps Talks Grief After James Van Der Beek\u2019s Death, Says Watching \u2018Dawson\u2019s Creek\u2019 Would Be \u2018Hard\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

\n

Busy Philipps<\/strong><\/a> has always wanted to watch Dawson\u2019s Creek<\/em><\/a> from the beginning, but after the death of her costar James Van Der Beek<\/strong><\/a>, she\u2019s not sure if the timing will ever be right.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was thinking about doing a rewatch for myself, you know, like, watching it for the first time, Dawson\u2019s Creek<\/em>, but I just haven\u2019t yet,\u201d Philipps, 46, exclusively told Us Weekly<\/em> on Wednesday, June 17, while promoting her partnership with Supernus Pharmaceuticals<\/a> and Qelbree<\/a> for an ADHD campaign.\u00a0\u201cAnd also, you know, it\u2019s hard.\u201d<\/p>\n

The actress \u2014 who played Audrey Liddell on the last two seasons of the hit series alongside Van Der Beek\u2019s Dawson Leery<\/a> \u2014 noted that her longtime friend\u2019s death was one of many heartbreaks she\u2019s experienced that changed her outlook on life lately. (Van Der Beek passed away in February<\/a> after a battle with colon cancer. He was 48.)<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

\n\t\t\t
\n Related: <\/span>\u2018Dawson’s Creek\u2019 Cast Quotes About James Van Der Beek’s Cancer Battle<\/span><\/a>
\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n\t\t\tThe cast of Dawson\u2019s Creek shared their public support for James Van Der Beek\u2019s cancer battle before his death. \u201cOur beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning. He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace,\u201d James\u2019 wife, Kimberly Van Der Beek, wrote via Instagram in February 2026. \u201cThere is much [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve lost several very close friends, far too young, in the last few years,\u201d Philipps shared with Us<\/em><\/a>. \u201cJames, obviously being one of them, [a] very public one.\u201d<\/p>\n

She revealed, \u201cI think that the perspective shift once you lose one friend is huge. And [it] really sort of instills in you that every day is all you have.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\"Busy<\/div>

\n James Van Der Beek.<\/span> Tommaso Boddi\/Getty Images for Prime Video<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Phillips explained that loss and grief have led her to realize that \u201cyou need to live your life with that understanding and move through the world in a way that reflects that you get that. So I do try to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

She noted that her philosophy on life was unfortunately \u201cinformed by losses.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n
\"Dawson\u2019s<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

\n\t\t\t
\n Related: <\/span>Joshua Jackson Breaks Silence on James Van Der Beek’s Death<\/span><\/a>
\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n\t\t\tJoshua Jackson broke his silence on the death of his Dawson\u2019s Creek costar James Van Der Beek nearly one month after he died at age 48. Jackson, 47, discussed Van Der Beek\u2019s death during a Tuesday, March 10, appearance on the Today\u00a0show. When host\u00a0Craig Melvin\u00a0asked whether Jackson had processed the loss, the actor explained that [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Philipps added that Van Der Beek\u2019s death also reminded her to \u201ctake care\u201d of her health after seeing him speak out about getting screened for colon cancer. (After Van Der Beek was diagnosed with stage III colorectal cancer in 2023 when he was 46, he encouraged others to get tested even earlier<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

\u201cSee doctors, get checkups, like, make sure that you\u2019re taking care of your body and your health, and if something feels off, go get it checked out,\u201d Philipps noted.<\/p>\n

\n
\"Busy<\/div>

\n Busy Philipps on \u2018Dawson\u2019s Creek.\u2019<\/span> Everett Collection<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Van Der Beek announced in November 2024 that he had been diagnosed with stage III colorectal cancer, which was detected during a colonoscopy. Amid his health battle, the Dawson\u2019s Creek<\/em> cast<\/a> reunited in New York City to read the pilot episode for fans and raise money for F Cancer.<\/p>\n

Van Der Beek was set to attend the September 2025 event but had to stay home<\/a> at the last minute due to multiple stomach bugs. (He taped a message for the crowd that was played in his absence, and his wife, Kimberly Van Der Beek<\/strong><\/a>, and their six children were on hand to celebrate the reunion in person.)<\/p>\n

\u201cEverybody just came together, and everyone had great ideas and input, and [it was] all hands on deck,\u201d Philipps exclusively told Us<\/em><\/a> in October 2025 of the magical event. \u201cWe just really wanted it to be special and something that, even though James wasn\u2019t able to be there, he would feel the love from the Richard Rogers Theater on Broadway all the way to Texas.\u201d<\/p>\n

Five months later, James\u2019 family confirmed his death<\/a>, writing in a February 11 social media statement, \u201cOur beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning. He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\"Busy<\/div>

\n Michelle Williams, James Van Der Beek, Joshua Jackson, Katie Holmes on \u2018Dawson\u2019s Creek.\u2019<\/span> Columbia TriStar Television\/Everett Collection<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cJames Van Der Beek was one in a billion and he will be forever missed and I don\u2019t know what else to say,\u201d Philipps wrote in her own Instagram tribute to James<\/a>. \u201cI am just so so sad. He was my friend and I loved him and I\u2019m so grateful for our friendship all these years.\u2764\ufe0f.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since his passing, Philipps has continued to use her platform to bring awareness to her own health ailments, shining a light on attention-deficit\/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n
\"james<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

\n\t\t\t
\n Related: <\/span>The Uplifting Message James Van Der Beek Gave In His Final Interview<\/span><\/a>
\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n\t\t\tJames Van Der Beek shared an uplifting message about his cancer diagnosis just two months before he died at age 48 on Wednesday, February 11. \u201cAs soon as I heard the news [about my colorectal cancer diagnosis], I went into shock,\u201d Van Der Beek admitted to Today\u2019s Craig Melvin on December 19, 2025, in what [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Philipps teamed up with Supernus Pharmaceuticals for the role of \u201cMs. Represented\u201d as part of their campaign aimed at empowering women with ADHD to better understand their symptoms and manage them with the help of Qelbree, a non-stimulant ADHD treatment.<\/p>\n

\u201cPart of the reason why I\u2019m so vocal about what my experience has been with [ADHD is] because I feel like so frequently, especially as women, we\u2019re sort put in this position unwillingly to suffer in silence,\u201d Philipps explained to Us<\/em>. \u201cAnd there\u2019s just no reason for it, especially now where we do know so much more.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\"\"
\n\t\"\"<\/p>\n