The Money Debate After James Van Der Beek’s Death

James Van Der Beek’s sudden dying at 48 left Hollywood surprised, and it sparked a wave of generosity few might ignore. 

Inside days, a GoFundMe created for his widow and 6 kids crossed $2.6 million. Huge names opened their wallets, and followers adopted. 

Nevertheless, as the whole climbed, so did the questions. Why would a recognizable TV star want public donations? The reply, it seems, is way extra layered than many critics assumed.

The GoFundMe for James Van Der Beek’s household shortly turned a rallying level for the trade. 

Steven Spielberg contributed $25,000. Zoe Saldaña pledged $2,500 a month, whereas Jon M. Chu gave $10,000. Lyn Lear additionally donated $5,000. Others, together with Julie Plec, Ricki Lake, and Lydia Hearst, additionally generously chipped in.

The fundraiser’s fast rise to greater than $2.6 million underscored Van Der Beek’s stature in Hollywood. 

After shedding his three-year combat with colorectal most cancers on Feb. 11, colleagues and pals clearly wished to ease the burden on his household. 

To many, the donations have been an indication of affection and appreciation for an actor who had labored steadily for many years.

Nonetheless, not everybody felt snug with the marketing campaign. Some on-line commenters questioned why a star of “Dawson’s Creek” would wish monetary assist. 

One critic wrote, “This doesn’t sit proper with me. Under no circumstances. Positive, I get it. However hundreds of individuals all over the world face this actual state of affairs every single day and cope with the wrestle.”  They added, “He needed to have had life insurance coverage … and residual checks.”

The criticism grew louder after reviews instructed that James Van Der Beek had secured a down fee on a Texas ranch shortly earlier than his dying. 

That fueled hypothesis that he had extra money than folks realized.

Nevertheless, actor Mehcad Brooks pushed again forcefully, writing, “You don’t have any thought wtf you’re speaking about. You don’t have any thought the ache they went by. It’s alright to stfu when you possibly can’t know what the f-ck you’re speaking about.” 

Whereas Van Der Beek turned a family title taking part in Dawson Leery, early TV contracts have been not often profitable for younger actors. 

At first of his profession, he was reportedly paid modestly. In keeping with a Warner Bros insider, each actor solid for “Dawson’s Creek” was unknown on the time.

“Katie Holmes was solid from a house video on her kitchen counter. I can’t think about James had any factors,” they mentioned.

Nevertheless, salaries elevated over time, presumably reaching six figures per episode in later seasons, however residual offers in that period have been usually restricted.

In an interview with Today, Van Der Beek admitted, “There was no residual cash,” including, “I used to be 20. It was a foul contract.”

After “Dawson’s Creek” resulted in 2003, he stayed busy. He appeared in “Don’t Belief the B—— In Residence 23,” “CSI: Cyber,” and “Pose,” and acted in movies like “Varsity Blues” and “The Guidelines of Attraction.” 

Van Der Beek additionally competed on “Dancing With the Stars” and even voiced Boris on “Vampirina.” 

These jobs stored him seen, however they didn’t include blockbuster-level paydays.

After James Van Der Beek’s prognosis in 2023, he certified for SAG insurance coverage, which doubtless lined a lot of his conventional most cancers therapy. 

Nevertheless, insurance coverage sometimes doesn’t cowl various therapies, and in accordance with reviews, the Hollywood star pursued each.

Talking to The Hollywood Reporter, a household good friend shared, “It was a number of ups and downs these previous few years.” 

The good friend famous that in Van Der Beek’s final 12 months, the actor tried all the things to outlive, together with trying the holistic route and touring out for different choices, even when they price hundreds of {dollars}.

“He actually wished to dwell and had rather a lot to dwell for. He fought actually, actually laborious,” they added.

Even so, Van Der Beek remained hopeful. Throughout an interview, he revealed that he knew from the beginning that he would flip the expertise into one thing optimistic. 

“After I heard the information,” he mentioned throughout a 2025 “Today” interview, “I used to be like, ‘That is going to be the most effective factor that’s ever occurred to me.’”