NEED TO KNOW
- James Van Der Beek was scheduled to appear on the Today show on Friday, Dec. 5
- He announced on his Instagram Stories that he had to postpone the appearance after contracting pink eye
- Van Der Beek has been candid about his health since revealing in November 2024 that he was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer
James Van Der Beek missed out on a Today show appearance for a reason relatable to anyone with kids.
According to NBC’s schedule for the weekthe dad of six was set to appear on the Friday, Dec. 5 edition of Today to talk about his cancer journey.
The Dawson’s Creek alum revealed in November 2024 that he had been diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer.
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James Van Der Beek/Instagram
On Friday afternoon, the actor went on Instagram to explain his absence, posting a photo of himself and one of his children. Van Der Beek shares daughters Olivia15, Annabel11, Emilia9, and Gwendolyn6, and sons Joshua13, and Jeremiah2, with his wife Kimberly.
“Tell me you have kids without telling me you have kids,” Van Der Beek wrote over the photo. “Having to postpone a @today show appearance because of pink eye 😂.”
He then apologized again to the Today show and Craig Melvinwho holds the show’s top anchor seat.
JC Olivera/Variety via Getty
“Sorry @today @craigmelvinnbc for having to push,” he wrote. “Pink eye(s) almost cleared up. See you Dec. 17 😊.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Preventionpink eye, or conjunctivitis, is one of the “most common and treatable eye conditions,” but it is “very contagious.”
In September, Van Der Beek announced that he would be absent from a Dawson’s Creek reunion eventciting health struggles.
“This is the evening I’d been looking forward to MOST since my angel Michelle Williams said she was putting it together, way back in January,” he wrote in a lengthy Instagram post. “So you can imagine how gutted I was when two stomach viruses conspired to knock me out of commission and keep me grounded at the worst possible moment.”
James Van Der Beek/Instagram
“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 message continued.
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Van Der Beek will be returning to TV in the near future, though, as he announced in May that he had officially been cast as a recurring guest star in the upcoming Legally Blonde prequel series, Elle.
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Author: Ingrid Vasquez
Published on: 2025-12-06 07:39:00
Source: people.com
