James Van Der Beek Will Not Be At 'Dawson's Creek' Reunion 'Despite Every Effort'

Blame the naughty stomach viruses for James Van Der Beek's absence from "Dawson's Creek" reunion.

The actor has taken the time to explain to fans why he will be a no-show at the reunion, which he has known about for months due to an illness.

James Van Der Beek was billed to join the cast of the charity show, which wrapped in 2003, to raise funds for a cancer organization and the actor himself.

The American actor took to Instagram to post a lengthy caption detailing what influenced his decision to stay behind as the rest of the "Dawson Creek" crew raised funds for the fight against cancer.

He explained that he has been part of the project since its planning phase in January alongside Michelle Williams. However, the unexpected happened, thwarting his anticipation for the show- the actor came down with a stomach virus.

"Despite every effort... I won't get to be there. I won't get to stand on that stage and thank every soul in the theater for showing up for me, and against cancer, when I needed it most," the actor noted.

Der Beek assured fans that he had made plans for a friend and an excellent actor to replace him, thanks to his impeccable knowledge and experience with theatre, which people would consider an "upgrade."

He shared that the role "Dawson," usually played by him, will now be played by Lin-Manuel Miranda. He urged the fans to "please enjoy all the love in that room. Shine some on my family," as he will be "beaming and receiving from afar in a bed in Austin."

He concluded his write-up by thanking the actor and emphasizing how much of a hero he is to his kids, declaring, "You were a hero to my kids before... now you're a demigod."

The 48-year-old's post was received with overwhelming love from his teeming fanbase, who encouraged him to focus on getting better.

"James, the magic of you is all over this. This is an epic amount of love coming your way, and you get what you give!!!" a commenter declared. Another Instagram user suggested selling tickets to online viewers to help raise more funds and expand the audience base.

Actress Jenna Dewan praised the actor for creating such a beautiful moment for his family, as another commenter encouraged the producers to consider rescheduling the show for "when James is feeling better."

"Lin is awesome, but he ain't Dawson. Hopefully, there will be a chance to have an episode version of this for Netflix or something. Feel better soon," another Instagram subscriber noted.

Fans in the comments affirmed their love for the actor, even more than his beloved character, who amassed a cult following on the show.

The cast of the early 2000s hit show will appear on stage for the first time since it ended over two decades ago for the one-night-only charity event. Deadline stated that the event was organized to raise funds for the F Cancer foundation and Der Beek as he recovers from the terminal illness.

The cast, including Williams, Katie Holmes, Joshua Jackson, Mary Beth Peil, John Wesley Shipp, Mary-Margaret Humes, Nina Repeta, Kerr Smith, Meredith Monroe, and Busy Philipps, will reunite at the Richard Rodgers Theatre in New York on September 22.

There will be a live reading of the 1998 pilot episode, directed by Jason Moore, who also directed the classic. The show has Carl Ogawa, Jason Moore, Michelle Williams, Thomas Kail, Maggie Brohn, Kevin Williamson, and Greg Berlanti taking the producer title.

Der Beek came down with stage 3 colorectal cancer in 2023, but did not go public with the diagnosis until 2024. As shared by The Blast, the actor affirmed that he was not prepared to hear the news that he had contracted the illness, as he had mostly lived a perfect and healthy lifestyle.

He recalled noticing some changes in his bowel movement in 2023, initially blaming his feeding habits, and decided to stop drinking coffee. Even after he cut out the caffeine and cream, he noticed things still did not change.

Der Beek then underwent a colonoscopy, a very seamless process as he described, but the result from that process was less than comforting. "Then the gastroenterologist said — in his most pleasant bedside manner — that it was cancer. I think I went into shock," the actor noted.

Der Beek shared that the whole process felt strange to him as it was a direct contrast to his family history, where cancer was alien, and fitness was prioritized.

However, he decided to face the illness head-on by going in for surgery and attending chemotherapy sessions, all while ensuring secrecy on the stages of recovery and remission.

In 2023, the actor and Sirius XM experienced a legal fallout over a failed podcast deal, as the company claimed it was a great business opportunity for the actor.

Although Sirius XM emerged victorious from the lawsuit, Der Beek explained that his dispute with the brand cost him future business deals because he thought he had secured the offer.

He stated that the company promised him a $700,000 deal for 40 episodes of a podcast, but they failed to come through on their end of the bargain, thus poking holes in his plans.

As reported by The Blast, Der Beek explained that the producers even provided him with a first look to deter him from working with other networks for a podcast.

Unfortunately, after the project received approval from all parties involved, the network reversed its decision, citing concerns that the podcast might not break into the market or be profitable.

The actor’s lawsuit sought a payment of $700,000 alongside damages, all of which the judge could not grant in the final judgment.