Steven Spielberg Gives $25,000 To James Van Der Beek’s Family

Days after the passing of “Dawson’s Creek” star James Van Der Beek, many have come forward to offer monetary support for the family he left. One of them is iconic director Steven Spielberg, who donated a significant amount.

The GoFundMe for the late actor’s family has surpassed its goal in less than two days, and donations still keep pouring in from all over the world.

On February 11, Van Der Beek passed away from his years-long battle with colorectal cancer at 48 years old. He is survived by his wife, Kimberly, and their six children, ages 4 to 15.

A GoFundMe page was set up to support Van Der Beek’s family, asking for financial support. “The costs of James’s medical care and the extended fight against cancer have left the family out of funds. They are working hard to stay in their home and to ensure the children can continue their education and maintain some stability during this incredibly difficult time,” the page reads.

Many have responded to the call, with the funds reaching more than $1 million in a matter of hours. One of those who donated was Spielberg and his wife, Kate Capshaw, who gave $25,000.

Spielberg is among the top contributors, alongside an anonymous donor who donated $30,000.

Van Der Beek is most well-known for his portrayal of Dawson Leery in the TV series “Dawson’s Creek.” In the show, Dawson is an aspiring filmmaker who idolizes Spielberg, decorating his room with posters of the director’s films, including “Jurassic Park,” “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” and “Hook.”

According to the show’s creator, Kevin Williamson, he had to pen a letter asking permission from Spielberg to use the posters. “And I was like, ‘Please, Mr. Spielberg, you don’t know me, but I was this kid. I had this bedroom. I had all your posters in my bedroom. Can I please present Dawson the way that he really was?’” Williamson said, per Entertainment Weekly.

He heard back from the director, who kindly wrote, “You can use everything.” His only condition was not to mention his wife or children in the show.

In September 2025, the cast of “Dawson’s Creek” reunited more than two decades after the show’s final episode aired. Katie Holmes, Joshua Jackson, and Michelle Williams were present, together with their former castmates, including Busy Philipps, Meredith Monroe, and Kerr Smith.

Van Der Beek was noticeably absent due to an illness, but he sent a video message, saying, “I can’t believe I don’t get to hug my cast mates. I wanted to stand on that stage and thank every single person in this theater for being here tonight.”

The cast did a reading of the show’s pilot episode, and songwriter and actor Lin-Manuel Miranda stepped in to fill Van Der Beek’s shoes.

The reunion was a charity event held to raise funds for Van Der Beek and the non-profit organization F Cancer. As previously reported by The Blast, Van Der Beek didn’t get residuals from the show due to a “bad” contract.

When “Dawson’s Creek” began, Dawson was a high school student keen on becoming a filmmaker. In the series finale, six seasons later, audiences learn that Dawson has become the writer and executive producer of the show “The Creek,” a series based on his life growing up in Capeside.

During the reunion show, a short video clip that Spielberg sent was shown on the big screen. He had a few words for Van Der Beek, aka Dawson, saying, “Dawson, you made it. Maybe someday, I will get to have a Dawson’s closet.”

A few months before his passing, Van Der Beek auctioned some “Dawson’s Creek” memorabilia to raise funds for his cancer treatment. “I’ve been storing these treasures for years, waiting for the right time to do something with them, and with all of the recent unexpected twists and turns life has presented recently, it’s clear that the time is now,” he said.

Donations to Van Der Beek’s family continue pouring in, and they have surpassed the $1.5 million goal in less than two days. As previously reported by The Blast, other celebrities who have donated to the cause include Zoe Saldana and Derek Hough.

As of writing, the contributions have reached $2.1 million.