Steven Spielberg, Dawson Leery’s Favorite Director, Donates $25K to GoFundMe for James Van Der Beek’s Family

Steven Spielberg and his wife, Kate Capshaw, donated $25,000 to a GoFundMe fundraiser created to support Kimberly Van Der Beek and her family after the death of actor James Van Der Beek.

The fundraiser, launched by friends of Kimberly Van Der Beek, was set with an initial goal of $250,000 and had raised about $1.8 million by Thursday. More than 35,000 donations had been made, including some set up as recurring monthly contributions.

Other notable donations included $10,000 each from director Jon M. Chu and talent manager and investor Guy Oseary. The Marla Maples Foundation contributed $5,000, and one anonymous donor gave $30,000.

Van Der Beek was best known for playing Dawson Leery on Dawson’s Creek, which ran for six seasons from 1998 to 2003. The WB teen drama followed a group of friends in the fictional town of Capeside, Massachusetts, as they navigated relationships, ambitions, and life transitions from high school into college. On the series, Van Der Beek’s character—a budding filmmaker—often referenced Spielberg as an inspiration.

Spielberg also appeared virtually during a September cast reunion event in New York City that benefitted F Cancer and Van Der Beek. In a recorded message shown during the event, Spielberg congratulated the character Dawson’s fictional journey and joked about wanting “a Dawson’s closet” someday.

Van Der Beek did not attend the event in person due to illness, but he appeared in a pre-recorded video message thanking fans and supporters, as well as the cast and crew, for their generosity.

Van Der Beek and Kimberly Van Der Beek shared six children: daughters Olivia, Annabel, Emilia, and Gwendolyn, and sons Joshua and Jeremiah.

He publicly revealed in November 2024 that he had been diagnosed with colorectal cancer and was focusing on treatment while prioritizing time with his family. He said the cancer was discovered after a routine colonoscopy in August 2023, and he described noticing changes in his bowel habits before seeking medical advice.

Van Der Beek most recently appeared in the comedy series Overcompensating and was set to appear in Elle, the upcoming Legally Blonde prequel series expected to premiere later this year.