Kimberly Van Der Beek is encouraging fans to still attend the Dawson’s Creek reunion despite husband James Van Der Beek’s absence.
After James, 48, shared that he would not be attending the Monday, September 22, charity event amid his stage 3 colorectal cancer battle, fans took to the comments section of his social media to ask whether the date of the event could be changed.
“I have tickets! Can you reschedule? I’m a single Mom driving up all [alone] for this event
Keep my money – – but I want to see you!” one user wrote on Sunday, September 21.
Kimberly replied, “Come! It will be so special. His whole family will be there too.”
James Van Der Beek Announces He Will Not Attend the ‘Dawson’s Creek’ Reunion
When another user asked whether Kimberly and the couple’s six children would be in attendance, she responded, “We are all here! Was important to him we come!!”
James revealed on Sunday that he was “gutted” when “two stomach viruses conspired to knock [him] out of commission and keep [him] grounded at the worst possible moment,” leading to his absence from the reunion.
“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,” he wrote.
James shared that “understudy” Lin-Manuel Miranda would be replacing him at the reunion, which included a live reading of the show’s pilot.
‘Dawson’s Creek’ Cast Announces Reunion Amid James Van Der Beek Cancer Fight
“Everyone please enjoy all the love in that room. Shine some on my family. I will be beaming and receiving from afar in a bed in Austin,” James concluded. “And thank you @lin_manuel . You were a hero to my kids before… now you’re a demigod 
.”
In August, Dawson’s Creek OG stars Michelle Williams, Katie Holmes and Joshua Jackson shared they would be teaming up with F Cancer for the New York City event. Former castmates Mary Beth Peil, John Wesley Shipp, Mary-Margaret Humes, Nina Repeta, Kerr Smith, Meredith Monroe and Busy Philipps are also set to attend.
“The first phone call I got was from James himself,” Humes exclusively shared in Us Weekly’s cover story. “He told me that Michelle was spearheading this, and it was a way for us to actually have a reunion, all of us together, and celebrate James’ life. Because he’s dealing with a very difficult situation; very optimistic, but a difficult situation. Together as a TV family, we just thought we needed to be there for him and rally around him.”
