Overview
- Mary-Margaret Humes posted a Father's Day tribute on Instagram on Saturday, June 19, sharing a throwback Dawson’s Creek poster and urging people to give big, meaningful hugs.
- Van Der Beek died in February 2026 at age 48 after a battle with stage III colorectal cancer, a fact confirmed by his wife Kimberly in a joint Instagram statement.
- Kimberly Van Der Beek has posted occasional updates about her grief, including a message roughly three months after his death thanking supporters and asking for privacy.
- Several Dawson’s Creek co-stars, including John Wesley Shipp, Michelle Williams, Katie Holmes, Joshua Jackson and Busy Philipps, have publicly offered support and shared memories.
- Media coverage and cast posts show how social media and holidays are prompting renewed public remembrance while the family balances tribute with a request for private mourning.