James Van Der Beek’s wife is remembering the late actor’s most iconic role by reposting an acoustic cover of the “Dawson’s Creek” theme song, “I Don’t Want To Wait.”
Kimberly Van Der Beek posted the sweet tribute in her return to social media after announcing her husband’s death on Feb. 11.
The song, originally sung by Paula Cole, was covered by Alana Springsteen, alongside Sara Bares and Lauren LaRue, in an Instagram post Thursday.
this loss hit me hard today. so much girlhood was lived to the backdrop of his work,” the singer-songwriter captioned the moving tribute.“Praying for his beautiful family. link to the gofundme that his friends started to help with their expenses is in my bio if you feel led to support.”Cole herself commented on Springsteen’s post, writing, “So beautiful. Tears and more tears. Thank you for honoring James and his family. 
”
Shortly after, Kimberly reshared the cover to her Instagram Stories.
this loss hit me hard today. so much girlhood was lived to the backdrop of his work,” Springsteen captioned the moving tribute.GC Images
On Wednesday, Kimberly announced via social media that her husband had passed away after a battle with colorectal cancer. He was 48.
“Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning,” she heartbreakingly revealed.
“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,” she added.
Shortly after, friends of the family set up a $500,000 GoFundMe page, noting the costs of his medical care “left [his] family out of funds.”
The GoFundMe created Wednesday notes that Kimberly, and the six children she shared with him — Olivia, 14, Joshua, 13, Annabel, 12, Emilia, 8, Gwendolyn, 6, and Jeremiah, 3 — are now “facing an uncertain future.”
“Throughout his illness, the family faced not only emotional challenges but also significant financial strain as they did everything possible to support James and provide for his care,” the page reads.
“In the wake of this loss, Kimberly and the children are facing an uncertain future. The costs of James’s medical care and the extended fight against cancer have left the family out of funds. They are working hard to stay in their home and to ensure the children can continue their education and maintain some stability during this incredibly difficult time.”
The donations will help cover the family’s essential living expenses, pay bills and support the children’s education.
Within an hour, over $42,000 had been raised.
As of Friday morning, the page had raised over $2 million, with an update on the page showing gratitude for the donations.
“Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for showing up for James and his beautiful family. Your kindness has meant more than we can put into words. In the middle of deep grief, your support has been a light. It reminds us that love is real, that community is strong, and that James’s spirit continues to bring people together,” the update reads before asking for privacy for the family.
Aside from fans, plenty of A-listers rallied around the family, including Zoe Saldaña, who set up a monthly donation of $2,500, “Wicked” director donating $10,000 and Steven Spielberg adding $25,000 to the funds.
Back in 2012, James recalled how he wound up with “almost nothing” from the CW drama series, which aired from 1998 to 2003.
“There was no residual money,” he told Today.com, adding that he “was 20” at the time. “It was a bad contract,” he explained. “I saw almost nothing from that.”
Before his death in November, the “Varsity Blues” actor auctioned off personal items of memorabilia from “Dawson’s Creek” to help fund his own cancer treatments.
