All About the Late James Van Der Beek's 6 Children
- - All About the Late James Van Der Beek's 6 Children
Katie Mannion, Caroline BlairFebruary 12, 2026 at 1:16 AM
0
James Van Der Beek and his family on vacation to Egypt
James Van Der Beek/Instagram
James Van Der Beek had six children with his wife, Kimberly, whom he married in 2010
The Dawson's Creek actor leaned on the support of his family amid his colorectal cancer diagnosis
James died on Feb. 11 at 48 years old
James Van Der Beek was a loving father to six children.
The Dawson's Creek star died on Feb. 11 after being diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2023. He was 48 years old. Throughout his cancer journey, James prioritized his relationships with his wife, Kimberly, and their six children: daughters Olivia, Annabel, Emilia and Gwendolyn, and sons Joshua and Jeremiah.
Just a few weeks before his death, James shared his last Instagram post dedicated to his daughter, Annabel, on her 12th birthday — which is also his father's birthday.
"I see the care and dedication you shower upon those you love most," he wrote about Annabel and his dad. "I see the same out-of-the-box Aquarian creativity and originality. And you both make every room you’re in more fun. Different sense of humor, but you both have a way of alchemizing the vibe around you in such a subtle way one can almost miss how powerfully you do this."
When the father of six — who married Kimberly in 2010 — spoke about his colorectal cancer in a November 2024 interview with PEOPLE, he credited his "incredible" family for their support.
Here's everything to know about James Van Der Beek's children: Olivia, Joshua, Annabel, Emilia, Gwendolyn and Jeremiah.
Olivia Van Der Beek, 15
Olivia Van Der Beek in 2022. James Van Der Beek Instagram
James and Kimberly's first child, Olivia Van Der Beek, was born on Sept. 25, 2010, in Los Angeles.
Speaking to PEOPLE, James shared that he chose her name for a sweet reason. "We wanted her to come out and then see what her name would be." He went on to say, "She looked like an Olivia."
As for Olivia's birth, Kimberly said that despite an easy pregnancy, the delivery was difficult. Of the couple's six children, Olivia was the only one born in a hospital. "We were one of those couples who was all about natural birth," James said. "Kimberly did it as naturally as she could, but at the end of the day we were very glad we were in the hospital."
The following February, James talked to PEOPLE about life with a 5-month-old, saying, "She's brilliant. Easily smarter than the father, already! Way smarter than me!"
James and Olivia Van Der Beek in 2021. James Van Der Beek Instagram
Now 15 years old, Olivia and her younger brother Joshua have begun to understand their dad's fame — and James has a Dawson's Creek meme to thank for that.
"For some online learning, we got them iPads and they immediately discovered memes," James told PEOPLE in 2022. "So it started, my eldest sent me a meme of myself."
The dad of six followed up with a meme of "me dancing or something," to which Olivia responded with James' funny cry face. "She immediately hit me with the cry face. ... I thought, 'That's aggressive.' "
Olivia made her TV debut in February 2024 when she and her dad competed on We Are Family, a game show where one member of a celebrity's family sings onstage and the judges must guess their famous relative.
On the show, James and Olivia sang LeAnne Womack's song, "I Hope You Dance," and he later shared clips from their experience on Instagram and how proud he was of his daughter for performing in front of an audience for the first time.
"So proud of my baby girl. And I call her that because when I watched her tonight, all I could see was the newborn in the bassinet who I could not stop looking at in awe," he wrote.
Joshua Van Der Beek, 13
Joshua Van Der Beek in 2023. Kimberly Van Der Beek Instagram
James and Kimberly welcomed their second child, Joshua Van Der Beek, at home on March 13, 2012.
When Kimberly was 37 weeks pregnant with him, she discovered the baby was breech. Her doctor told her she would need a c-section if the fetus didn't turn — which was unsettling. In an essay for PEOPLE, Kimberly revealed she met with another doctor who was adept at delivering breech babies.
Since the doctor only delivered at homes or birth centers, she decided on a home birth, writing, "At 7:42 a.m. Joshua was born into James' arms in our bed as the sun was rising. Yes, it was painful. But it was also peaceful and perfect."
After Joshua was born, James told PEOPLE that his free time was nonexistent with two kids but added that being a father was "the best."
He went on to share how the kids had different personalities. "The biggest surprise is how different they are right out of the gate. They come out with their own thing," he said. "My son's a thinker. You can tell already."
James and Joshua Van Der Beek in 2022. James Van Der Beek Instagram
Based on his parents' Instagram posts, Joshua appears to be a Spider-Man fan, wearing Spider-Man sweatshirts and onesies. He has also inherited James' passion for the Green Bay Packers and attended a game at Lambeau Field in 2022 with his dad.
Annabel Leah Van Der Beek, 12
Annabel Van Der Beek in 2023. Kimberly Van Der Beek Instagram
On Jan. 25, 2014, James and Kimberly welcomed their third child, Annabel Leah Van Der Beek.
James revealed her name nearly a week after she was born during an appearance on The Talk, explaining that he and Kimberly felt they needed to meet her before deciding on a name. He also shared that they chose not to find out the sex of their baby until the day of her birth, saying, "We thought it would be fun to do it old school."
The actor initially thought having three kids would be tricky, but after Annabel's arrival, James told PEOPLE that she turned out to be easier than expected. He said that the little one "decided to take it easy on us."
He went on to add, "I think she's probably our easiest baby. I think she knew that we couldn't handle any more than that."
James and Annabel Van Der Beek in 2023. James Van Der Beek Instagram
James has also praised his middle child's sense of adventure and spontaneity on social media. When she turned 3, the couple threw Annabel a unique purple Batman-themed birthday party.
A few years later, she opted for a bold haircut that surprised and impressed him. In an Instagram video, James shared that his daughter, then 5 years old, wanted to rock an undercut and shave one side of her head.
James went on to praise Annabel, writing in the caption, "I don't know if my parents would have ever let me do this ... because I don't know if I would have had the balls to even go for it. VanDerBeek2.0 ❤️."
Annabel celebrated her 10th birthday in January 2024, and James shared a clip on Instagram of the two of them together for the occasion, writing that he felt "beyond lucky" to be her dad.
"The second we got to meet you, I knew we were in for an adventure," he wrote. "And while you clearly know fun... it’s the purity of your heart at which I marvel. Your sincerity, your kindness, and the depth with which you care is so reliable, it sets the bar for the whole family."
Emilia Van Der Beek, 9
Emilia Van Der Beek in 2021. Kimberly Van Der Beek Instagram
On March 23, 2016, James and Kimberly welcomed their fourth child, Emilia Van Der Beek, at their home in L.A.
James shared the news of his third daughter's arrival on Instagram two days later, writing, "Crazy how deeply in love you can fall with someone you just met 😍."
Emilia made her social media debut the following year when James shared a sweet birthday tribute on Instagram. "One year ago today, I got to meet this sweet, determined, magical little soul," he wrote.
James and Emilia Van Der Beek in 2022. James Van Der Beek Instagram
In 2021, James and Kimberly revealed that then-4-year-old Emilia had to go to the emergency room after injuring her head. "Emilia hit her head on a table. Needed to be glued...," the mom wrote on her Instagram Stories.
Kimberly shared in another post, "She breathed through it all and the doctors and nurses here have had a 💯 percent success rate with us of handling situations with fully informed decision offerings, friendliness and care."
Gwendolyn Van Der Beek, 6
Gwendolyn Van Der Beek in 2022 James Van Der Beek Instagram
James and Kimberly welcomed their youngest daughter and fifth child, Gwendolyn Van Der Beek, on June 15, 2018. Like three of her older siblings, Gwendolyn was born at home with a doctor and midwife present.
In a statement to PEOPLE confirming the birth of his fifth child, James said, "Every child awakens a different energy in you ... and this one has been bringing up the truth ever since we found out she was on her way."
According to James, being the father of four girls opened his mind about what masculinity really meant. He shared a photo of Gwendolyn giving him a pink manicure on Instagram, writing "#Parenting perk: Surprise liberation from limited belief systems."
James also gave her a sweet social media shout-out on her 4th birthday, writing, "You're such a big personality, and you command so much of the world around you."
James and Gwendolyn Van Der Beek in 2022. James Van Der Beek Instagram
In September 2020, the Van Der Beek family moved from their home in L.A. to Texas.
Roughly two years later, the Van Der Beek's celebrated Gwendolyn's 4th birthday with a tea party and a piñata. "Thanks for being so sensational, kiddo. So different. So you. And for taking us on the ride of our lives," James wrote on Instagram.
Jeremiah Van Der Beek, 4
Jeremiah Van Der Beek in 2025
James Van Der Beek/Facebook
Jeremiah Van Der Beek was born in Oct. 10, 2021, at the couple's ranch in Texas.
The following month, James announced the birth of his sixth child on Instagram, writing, "Humbled and overjoyed to announce the safe, happy arrival of Jeremiah Van Der Beek ❤️ (We've been calling him Remi, btw - not 'dinosaur' 🥰)."
The pair had previously been open about their pregnancy losses, which greatly impacted them. "We kept this one quiet," he continued. "Truthfully, I was terrified when I found out."
According to James, having another baby was something they had "serious questions" about. In an interview with PEOPLE, Kimberly said, "The biggest concern was having enough one-on-one time with each child. And it's getting wildly expensive to travel. But we really felt another child knocking at our door."
James and Jeremiah Van Der Beek in 2022. James Van Der Beek Instagram
She went on to say, "When we look at our kids, and they're a tribe, and they take care of each other."
"It can be exhausting," James said of parenting a large family. "But we love the chaos!"
In February 2023, James and Kimberly gave fans a glimpse of what it was like traveling with their family of eight on Instagram. The actor shared photos and videos of an airplane adventure, including a family selfie on the jet bridge.
"It struck me today, as @vanderkimberly and I were managing more tiny humans than I'd previously thought possible ... that any excuse for a single-minded focus on those you love most really IS a vacation," wrote James in a lengthy heartfelt caption.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
