Real reason why James Van Der Beek's family struggling financially

How does the star of Dawson’s Creek end up with a $1M GFundMe?

James van Der Beek who passed away on February 11 after a brutal battle with stage 3 colorectal cancer. But while fams were mourning the 90s icon, his wife Kimberly dropped a bombshell: the family is essentially out of funds.

How? Well the WB (the network where Dawson’s Creek lived before it became The CW) wasn’t exactly cutting the big cheques. James kept it real back in 2010, telling Today.com: “There was no residual money. I was 20. It was a bad contract. I saw almost nothing from that."

Throw in the fact that colorectal cancer is the second most expensive treatment in the world. Even with his credits, the SAG-AFTRA healthcare system is notoriously “pay-toplay,” requiring actors to hit high income thresholds just to keep their insurance.

James warned during 2023 strikes: “Residuals... have all but disappeared in the streaming era... they're everything to people trying to pay their groceries and their rent.”

After the actor’s death it’s a grim reminder how even fame doesn’t shield you from a broken system.