James Van Der Beek's Final Instagram Post Before His Death Is So Heartbreaking Now

In the wake of James Van Der Beek's death at the age of 48, even more heartbreaking details are emerging. James' wife Kimberly Van Der Beek took to Instagram on February 11 to solemnly announce that James "met his final days with courage, faith, and grace," before asking for privacy during this difficult time. However, this wasn't the only post to tug at the heartstrings. James' final post to Instagram on January 25, dedicated to his father and daughter Annabel, is even more devastating now.

The lead image shows James hugging Annabel, one of his six children, with the caption extolling how "my father and my daughter share a birthday today." Initially, James thought the two only had this date in common, but as time has gone on, the "Dawson's Creek" actor admitted, "I see the care and dedication you shower upon those you love most." The post goes on to recognize their similar dispositions as well as the ability to "make every room you're in more fun." 

But what's most devastating of all is that James is survived by all his children, as well as his father and namesake, James William Van Der Beek, Sr. The post is all the more gutting with the line, "The world is a better place because the two of you are in it." 

James Van Der Beek's parents, Melinda Weber and James William Van Der Beek Sr., were instrumental in making the "Dancing With The Stars" alum into the man he was. According to yet another heartfelt Instagram post from James in 2025, the actor thanked his father for "the way you have shown up when I've been down and out this year – without us having to ask." While this was most likely a reference to James's tragic health news, it also highlighted how his father has stepped up since the passing of Weber in 2020.

While some of the "Masked Singer" alum's success could be chopped up to his mother having a background in dance and gymnastics, it seems the steady hand of his baseball playing father paved the way for James to thrive. "Seeing what kind of man and father you are... gives me more confidence in myself than I could ever express," he wrote about his dad in 2025. In January 2021, James posted on Instagram that James Sr. was "always a good father," but that what James was "most grateful for ... is his vulnerability." 

Thanking his father "for having the courage to be soft," is not only tender, but plays into the way James himself took on much of his roles. It's safe to say that one of the most important stars from "Dawson's Creek" couldn't have made his character so multi-dimensional without the help of his father.