Alfonso Ribeiro On Seeing James Van Der Beek Before His Death And The 'Breaking Lows' Of His Cancer Coming Back

The death of James Van Der Beek on February 11 at the age of just 48 is a tragedy that resulted in outpourings of emotion from fans and fellow celebrities alike. The Dawson's Creek vet passed away after a battle with colorectal cancer, after first being diagnosed in 2023 and announcing the news publicly in 2024. Now, friend and Dancing with the Stars co-host Alfonso Ribeiro has opened up about the last time they saw each other, reflecting on the "roller coaster ride" of Van Der Beek's health.

While both men were big names in the '90s for Dawson's Creek and Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, fans saw James Van Der Beek join Dancing with the Stars in Season 28. Alfonso Ribeiro has been associated with ABC's dance show going back to his victory in Season 19 and expanding to now place him as co-host. While fans may have known about the DWTS link between them, Ribeiro's Instagram post following Van Der Beek's death shines a light on the friendship that blossomed outside of the public eye:

Tragically, there were evidently points during Van Der Beek's battle with cancer when it appeared that he had beat it. The actor had to miss the Dawson’s Creek reunion due his illness, with his daughter stepping up to join Joshua Jackson and Katie Holmes in his place. Ribeiro didn't share a timeline in his emotional tribute for when the future seemed bright, but went on:

The passing of his friend clearly doesn't mean the end of Alfonso Ribeiro's bond with the Van Der Beek family, not least because he is the godfather to Gwendolyn, the second youngest of James' six children. Ribeiro's post also resulted in a fresh outpouring of comments from fellow Dancing with the Stars vets. Take a look:

• Witney Carson: "He was so loved by you, and you could tell how much he loved you and your family. I’m sending so many prayers and healing your way. Love you so much ❤️‍🩹
• Julianne Hough: You are such a beautiful friend and soul mate, Al ❤️"
• Derek Hough: "🙏🏼💔"
• Carrie Ann Inaba: "Sending love and my sincere condolences to you and his family. The words 'gone too soon' keep repeating in my soul. 💔 His family and those he loved all now have a very special angel watching over them. 🕊️🙏 His light will continue to shine. 🙏🙏🙏"

Alfonso Ribeiro then went on to share a vulnerable moment with James Van Der Beek, shortly before their "last goodbye." The photo and the message go even further to demonstrate how close their friendship was, even if it wasn't constantly broadcast for the public to see. Take a look:

This wasn't even the end of Alfonso Ribeiro paying tribute to his friend and supporting James Van Der Beek's wife and six kids. Via Instagram Story, the DWTS fan favorite posted a link to the Go Fund Me started for Kimberly Van Der Beek and the rest of the family, which revealed that "Kimberly and the children are facing an uncertain future" due to the "costs of James’s medical care." Per the fundraising page, the family is "working hard to stay in their home and to ensure the children can continue their education and maintain some stability."

At the time of writing, the Go Fund Me has raised more than $1.8 million for the goal of $1.5 million out of nearly 36,000 donations. Among the top donors are Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw, with a total of $25,000, and Jon Chu, with $10,000. There are also many anonymous donors, and plenty of supporters who shared what they could.

Our thoughts here at CinemaBlend are with the friends, family, and loves ones of James Van Der Beek in this difficult time. Alfonso Ribeiro's tributes aren't the first and surely won't be the last in honor of a man who was part of so many millennials' lives simply as the leading man of Dawson's Creek, as well as his many projects in the years since.