James Van Der Beek’s Wife Responds to Actor Pulling Out of Dawson’s Creek Reunion

Kimberly Van Der Beek and her kids are representing their family on a special night.

The mom of six and her kids plan to join other members of Van Der Beek’s family at the Richard Rodgers Theatre in New York City for the Dawson’s Creek reunion event on Tuesday, Sept. 22.

Kimberly confirmed her intent to go while answering fans in the comments after James, who played the titular character throughout the show’s run from 1998 to 2003, announced in an Instagram post shared on Sunday, Sept. 21, that he would be unable to make the much-anticipated event.

“Was important to him we come!!” she wrote.

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The 48-year-old actor wrote that he was “gutted” after developing two different stomach viruses, but assured fans that he would have an “understudy.”

“This is the evening I’d been looking forward to MOST since my angel Michelle Williams said she was putting it together, way back in January,” the actor began his lengthy Instagram message. “So you can imagine how gutted I was when two stomach viruses conspired to knock me out of commission and keep me grounded at the worst possible moment.”

“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,” Van Der Beek wrote, before adding a reference to the Broadway star’s role in Moana. “Thank you @lin_manuel. You were a hero to my kids before… now you’re a demigod 😇.”

Michelle Williams, Katie Holmes, Joshua Jackson, Mary Beth Peil, John Wesley Shipp, Mary-Margaret Humes, Nina Repeta, Kerr Smith, Meredith Monroe, and Busy Philipps from the show’s cast are all set to appear, with those who joined after the pilot episodes filling in for other characters in creative ways throughout the reread. Lin-Manuel Miranda will fill in as Dawson.

The entire cast of Dawson’s Creek has not reunited since the series wrapped in 2003.

The event will be directed by fellow Dawson’s Creek alum, Jason Moore, and produced by Carl Ogawa, Moore, Michelle Williams, Thomas Kail, Maggie Brohn, Kevin Williamson and Greg Berlanti.

At the time it was announced, Williams shared a statement about the event. “We grew up in Capeside and that’s a bond that will last a lifetime. We wanted to gather around our dear friend James and remind him that we are all here. We always have been and we always will be. And I know the fans of Dawson’s Creek feel the same way.”