Overview
- His family announced he died peacefully on February 11 and asked for privacy, saying more about his final wishes will be shared later.
- The Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office said the death was reported at 6:44 a.m., and an official cause has not been released.
- Donations topped $700,000 within hours after friends launched a GoFundMe shared by Kimberly Van Der Beek to address expenses from his prolonged illness.
- Van Der Beek disclosed in 2024 that he had been diagnosed with stage‑3 colorectal cancer after an August 2023 colonoscopy and later used his platform to raise awareness.
- During treatment he appeared virtually at a Dawson’s Creek benefit at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, partnered with Propstore to auction memorabilia, and was honored in tributes that included final photos shared by friends Stacy Keibler and Erin Fetherston.