Katie Holmes & James Van Der Beek Reportedly Had A Hush-Hush Romance Off-Screen
At the age of 48, beloved "Dawson's Creek" star James Van Der Beek died of colorectal cancer on February 11, 2026. Many of his co-stars left memorial posts on social media for the late, great actor, including Katie Holmes, who was a one-time love interest to Van Der Beek's title character on "Dawson's Creek". This attraction may not have just been on-screen, however, since there are reports that Beek and Holmes had a brief tryst in real life.
On February 12, Holmes posted a photo of a handwritten letter on Instagram memorializing Van Der Beek. The letter partially read, "To share a space with your imagination is sacred — breathing the same air in the land of make believe and trusting that each other's hearts are safe in their expression," showcasing how much of an impact the "Rules of Attraction" star made on Holmes' life. The "Pieces of April" star's heartfelt Instagram post was accompanied by a caption that read: "I am so grateful to have shared in a piece of James' journey. He is beloved."
Van Der Beek tied the knot with "Party of Five" star Heather McComb in 2003 before the two divorced in 2010. Holmes married superstar actor Tom Cruise in 2006 and had one child, Suri, before divorcing in 2012. Van Der Beek married Kimberly Brook in 2010 and had six children with her. Before all of this happened, though, they reportedly had a romance while filming "Dawson's Creek."
James and Katie worked better as friends
In Dawson's Creek, which starred James Van Der Beek in his breakout role, Katie Holmes portrayed Joey Potter. Joey was the best friend of Dawson, who secretly always had a crush on him, and the two ended up dating for some time on the show. According to the Daily Mail, this on-screen romance drifted into reality, with several sources stating that Van Der Beek and Holmes dated for a short time, but decided that they worked more as buddies than as romantic partners.
Reportedly, Holmes and Van Der Beek wished for their romance to be a secret, but people close to both were well aware. Eventually, things fizzled romantically, but the two actors stayed in each other's lives platonically. "Everyone loved James both as a friend and a love interest, and James and Katie definitely had a brief moment with each other but realized very fast, they were better off as friends," one source informed the Daily Mail.
The fact that Van Der Beek and Holmes stayed in each other's lives throughout their own separate relationships shows just how close the two really were post-dating. Holmes even stated in her note posted on Instagram that she has the backs of Brook and her children.