“I’ve looked up to him since I was born,” the star’s sibling wrote in a candid and moving tribute. “He has never failed to be there for me whenever I needed him.”

James Van Der Beek’s brother shares ‘devastation’ after actor’s death: ‘I now know why people call it heartbreak’

"I've looked up to him since I was born," the star's sibling wrote in a candid and moving tribute. "He has never failed to be there for me whenever I needed him."

By Wesley Stenzel

Wesley Stenzel is a news writer at **. He began writing for EW in 2022.

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February 14, 2026 11:17 a.m. ET

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Jared Van Der Beek with his brother, James Van Der Beek. Credit:

Kimberly Van Der Beek/Instagram

- James Van Der Beek's younger brother, Jared, shared a candid and moving tribute to the late actor after his death at 48.

- Jared said he's experiencing "a feeling of devastation and pain": "I didn't know it would hurt so badly."

- The actor's brother also thanked Van Der Beek's friends and loved ones for their support: "The healing has already begun with all the outpouring of love."

James Van Der Beek's brother is paying tribute to the late *Dawson's Creek* actor.

Jared Van Der Beek, the younger brother of the *Varsity Blues* star, shared a candid and emotional message reacting to his death this week at the age of 48.

"There's a special bond that exists between brothers and two days ago, that physical bond was broken," Jared Van Der Beek began in an Instagram message he posted Friday. "I now know why people call it heartbreak when you lose someone close to you. There is a feeling of devastation and pain that runs so deep in the heart. I didn't know it would hurt so badly."

Jared Van Der Beek and James Van Der Beek in Pasadena, Calif., on Jan. 7, 1999.

Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty

Van Der Beek went on to express his admiration for his older brother. "He was my person, the one I went to for any and all things," he wrote. "I've looked up to him since I was born. He has never failed to be there for me whenever I needed him."

The actor's sibling added that seeing fans' and loved ones' reactions to James' death has been a meaningful experience for him. "It has been wonderful reading and seeing how he touched so many lives not because of something he did, but because of who he was," Van Der Beek wrote. "He shared with an open heart and with his wise soul. As painful as this pain deep in the heart is, the healing has already begun with all the outpouring of love, prayers, and support."

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Van Der Beek is immensely grateful for all the support he and his family have received in recent days. "I truly thank all of you [who] have taken the time to reach out, letting me know that you're there," he wrote. "The community of people who were intimately involved in his passing were nothing short of amazing. Thank you to everyone known and unknown who helped his transition be as beautiful as possible."

He concluded his remarks by addressing his late brother directly. "James, I already miss your physical being and your words of wisdom over the phone," he said. "Yet, I also feel your presence so strongly and I know you will continue to be guiding me. Thank you for living your life with me. I love you."

James Van Der Beek in Los Angeles on Nov. 18, 2024.

Andrew Toth/Getty

The actor's wife, Kimberly Van Der Beek, announced his death following a colorectal cancer diagnosis in an Instagram post on Wednesday.

"Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning," she wrote. "He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace. 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."

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After his death, Van Der Beek's friends launched a GoFundMe campaign to support Kimberly and the couple's six children. The campaign has raised $2.5 million to date, including a $25,000 donation from Steven Spielberg, who was the idol of Van Der Beek's *Dawson's Creek* character, Dawson Leery.

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