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.”

“Real Housewives of Potomac” star Ashley Darby shocked fans of the show when she admitted to having a romantic encounter with the son of co-star Charrisse Jackson-Jordan. Since then, both Jordan and her son, Jordan Jackson, have spoken out about the “RHOP” star, and she has also shed light on the situation, including admitting that it occurred more than once. Now, Darby is sharing her reasoning for admitting to the encounter on the show. 

Darby appeared on the “What’s the Reality” podcast in February 2026, and the host asked why she chose to discuss the hookup with Jordan’s son. She stated in the clip, “It’s been just kind of sitting on me for a while. It’s been sitting on me for two years now.”

From there, she revealed that she brought it up because she wanted Jordan to return to the show as a main cast member, stating that she believed there would have been a more explosive reaction. According to Darby, “You know, I wanted Charrisse back on the show. I have. I almost told her umteen times, and I was gonna take it to my grave.”

She continued, “I was like, ‘Hey girl, this could be your chance. Get you back on the show. In the scene, I thought she was gonna like throw champagne in my face, flip the table, do a whole thing, nothing of the sort.”

Regarding Jordan’s time on the show, she appeared as a full-time cast member for its first two seasons. She then appeared as a friend of the show for seasons three, seven, and eight. She has since made appearances in various seasons, including the most recent.

Elsewhere in the interview, Darby was asked if she still speaks to Jordan’s son. She said, “No, we don’t speak.” However, she stated that after one of the events hosted during season 10 of “The Real Housewives of Potomac,” he attempted to “hang out.” Darby said, “Yeah, I put a stop to that. I’ve learned my lesson.”

From there, she went on to express regret, saying, “I mean, I do feel bad about it because if Charrisse genuinely feels the way she does, I am remorseful. I don’t like the way she’s going about it, and that’s where I’m losing respect for her, but if she’s genuinely upset and I can acknowledge that I crossed a line, then we can deal with it.”

Later, she stated, “But if you’re going to keep defaming me and saying all this stuff and talking bad about my character, then we have another problem.” Darby also stated that Jordan has received a ton of attention thanks to the scandal and that she’s “happy she’s back in the fold.”

Following Darby’s interview, “RHOP” fans shared their thoughts on her claim that she admitted to the affair to raise interest in Jordan’s return to the show. One person said on X, “The way she’s trying to spin this now. Ashley is a nasty -ss liar. Charrisse ain’t sh-t either, but Ashley is so trashy. She better not be on my screen season 11.”

Someone else wrote, “So Ashley is saying that because she wanted Charisse back on the show, she used the situation to get her back on? So, when people accuse her of making up storylines, why does Ashley deny it? Get her off. Now!”

A different fan of the show stated, “You know, Ashley really is the lowest of the low. She needs to go, there’s nothing else left for her on the show. These trash antics and then ‘Karen’ behavior after the fact are just too much.”

Finally, another fan said, “So, ‘hooking up’ with your friend’s child doesn’t speak to your character? It’s definitely giving cringe and predatory. (Not in an underage way, but in a ‘I’m waiting in the background to snatch you up the moment you turn legal’ way. Major Ick!”

Darby appeared on Bravo’s “Watch What Happens Live” in December 2025. Host Andy Cohen asked her about the romantic encounter, beginning with her reasoning for hiding it. She stated that the then 27-year-old asked her to keep it a secret.

Cohen also asked if there was more than a kiss. She responded by smiling, gazing up into the air, and then playing with her ear before saying, “Well.” When asked if she saw him “only the one time,” Darby said, “No, it was more than one time. Yes, it was.” She also claimed that she believed Jordan had learned about the affair from seeing footage from the security camera at her home; however, this wasn’t the case.