James Van Der Beek Clears The Air On Concerning Weight Loss Amid Cancer Battle

James Van Der Beek is insisting all is well with his appearance as he continues to fight cancer!

The actor is assuring his fans that while his sudden trimmed appearance has absolutely nothing to do with his current ailment, instead, a less worrisome disease is to be blamed.

James Van Der Beek dropped the news of his cancer diagnosis as the year wrapped up in 2024 and has often kept the world abreast of his progress since he made the news public.

The TV star, who appeared virtually at the highly anticipated "Dawson's Creek" reunion in September, revealed that his trimmed look back then was not a side effect of his cancer. The actor explained to Craig Melvin during his interview with "Today" that a nasty stomach virus was entirely responsible for that.

Van Der Beek gave this response as an answer to Melvin's point that fans had been worried about his figure ever since he made that virtual appearance. He, however, added that with the cancer, every little illness tends to become exaggerated, which may have also contributed to that drastic weight loss.

In his battle with colorectal cancer, Van Der Beek confessed that recovery has challenged him to show up in ways he never thought he could. In his words: "It's required more of me, more patience, more discipline, more strength than I knew I had. I knew I was strong, but I didn't know I was this strong."

Late in November, the actor took to his Instagram with a life update of himself by announcing the sale of signed and unsigned "Varsity Blues" jerseys. As shared by The Blast, his wife, Kimberly, snuck in the comment section with a positive comment about his impressive physical condition. 

"You're a wizard. Bouncing back, baby!!" Kimberly wrote as the actor smiled at the camera as he struck several poses. He accompanied the post with a caption thanking fans for their support when he first released the jersey last year.

He also thanked them for making the movie far bigger than it is through their purchase of the jersey, whose proceeds would go directly into his cancer treatments and those of other families.

Fans in the comments encouraged Van Der Beek to keep up the good fight against cancer, while praising his great looks despite the challenge.

The actor has devised very creative means to sustain cash flow for his recovery, and earlier in the month, he gave the fans of "Dawson's Creek" and "Varsity Blues" a chance to own pieces from the shows.

The Blast reported that Van Der Beek teamed up with Propstore for its Winter Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction, which was billed to be held December 5 to 7, 2025.

The actor reportedly released items from the show's wardrobe and essential pieces from his personal wardrobe, which the public would be seeing for the first time ever.

Some special items, like the necklace Dawson gifted Joey for prom, were estimated to sell for between $26,400 and $52,800. The actor's flannel shirt, which featured in several episodes, and the outfit worn by his character in the "Dawson's Creek" pilot may also sell for $4,000.

Memorabilia from "Varsity Blues," like his game-worn cleats and the West Canaan Coyotes hat, were also listed among the sale items.

Van Der Beek did not find it easy letting so many sentimental items go, as the nostalgia overwhelmed me, but he remained laser-focused on the positive idea behind it.

In his words: "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."

The actor added that he is excited about being able to sell the items through the platform and have those who have supported his works over the years benefit from the initiative.

The news of Van Der Beek's diagnosis has been met with so much positive energy by fans of his work over the years, and the actor himself testified that his optimism was not misplaced.

The actor's stage three colorectal cancer forced him to pull out of one of the most iconic moments of his career. The "Dawson's Creek" cast had planned a reunion 22 years after it aired, and it was almost certain Van Der Beek would grace the stage until the tragedy struck.

The actor was reportedly forced to pull out of the show just hours before stepping on stage. Sources close to the actor stated that he had looked forward to the reunion benefit as it "offered him a change of pace, and to be able to see so many people that he loved was going to be so special."

The source noted that the actor was utterly disappointed to see that he could not appear with the crew. Nevertheless, his wife and their six children appeared in his stead as two of his daughters sang Paula Cole's "I Don't Wanna Wait," which was a regular part of the show when it aired.

Get well soon, James Van Der Beek!