By Zoe Papadakis | Tuesday, 10 March 2026 12:38 PM EDT
Nearly a month after “Dawson’s Creek” star James Van Der Beek died, his 9-year-old daughter Emilia Van Der Beek shared a message about coping with loss in a video posted to Instagram by her mother, Kimberly Van Der Beek.
The video was released Sunday, marking what would have been the late actor’s first birthday since his death. James Van Der Beek passed away on February 11 at age 48 following a battle with stage 3 colorectal cancer.
Speaking directly to viewers, Emilia Van Der Beek explained she wanted to offer “little tips” to help people dealing with the death of someone they love. “As you will probably know, my dad has passed away,” she began, before saying she was going to share “little tips” for helping others “get through anybody they love passing.”
“The number one thing for somebody’s passing is to talk to them and let your emotions out,” she said. “If you miss them, you can cry. You can talk to them. I talk to my dad every day. I start with a sentence: ‘Hi, Dad. I miss you and I love you so much, and I’ll never stop loving you.’”
Emilia Van Der Beek described how she views her father’s presence after his death. “You have to feel them in your heart, because they’re in your heart. They’re watching over you. They’re a part of your body and in a good place,” she said. “I know that my dad’s in a good place. He’s not in pain anymore. He’s in heaven above the clouds with God and the Lord.”
She also noted it is natural to experience a range of emotions after losing someone close: “Everybody has different emotions in their body, and they express it in different ways. Many, many different ways. And don’t let anybody tell you that. Be like, ‘No, you don’t know how I feel.’”
She reflected on advice her father gave before his death: “Everything is meant to happen for a reason,” she said. “Something my dad told me was if this doesn’t work out the way he wanted it to and the way we wanted it to for him living, I still have to believe in miracles. Miracles can still happen, just later on in life, and they’ll keep coming.”
The video acknowledged the outpouring of support from others following her father’s death and thanked supporters who donated to a GoFundMe created by friends of her mother.
The fundraising campaign has drawn online criticism. A user recently questioned the need for donations after reports circulated that James Van Der Beek had purchased a $4.8 million ranch in Texas shortly before his death.
Actor Mehcad Brooks, described as a close friend of James Van Der Beek, defended the family by stating: “You have no idea wtf you’re talking about. You have no idea the pain they went through.”
