James Van Der Beek GoFundMe receives donation from Trump’s ex-wife Marla Maples as fund tops $1.3M

AUSTIN, TEXAS: A GoFundMe campaign created for actor James Van Der Beek’s family has raised more than $1.3 million within a day, following reports that the ‘Dawson’s Creek’ actor passed away on Wednesday, February 11, after a long battle with cancer.

The fundraiser, launched by Jason K of Austin, lists Kimberly Van Der Beek as the beneficiary. The campaign has a goal of $1.5 million and has raised $1,372,385 so far, drawing more than 26,600 donations in less than 24 hours.

Corporate donors, celebrities boost GoFundMe fundraiser

The GoFundMe page has attracted several notable donors. Guardant Health, a biotechnology company based in Palo Alto, California, is currently listed as the top donor, contributing $20,000 to the fundraiser.

Other names appearing on the donor list include Martin Blencowe, Lyn Lear, Natasha Beck, Fidji Simo, and others. A profile listed as the Marla Maples Foundation, seemingly linked to actor-singer Marla Maples, former wife of Donald Trump, has also contributed $5,000 to the campaign. 

Maples shared multiple Instagram Stories expressing support for Van Der Beek and his family. In one Story, she reshared a post announcing his reported death and wrote, “Bless this most beautiful family with endless love... beyond time & space.” She also posted a 2017 photograph with the Van Der Beek family and encouraged followers to donate to the fundraiser. “Such precious moments with these earth angels, and this was before Gwendolyn and Jeremiah were born,” she wrote.

Mikki Willis, Kimberly Van Der Beek share tributes

Filmmaker Mikki Willis also posted a tribute on Instagram, describing Van Der Beek as a close family friend. Willis wrote, “Our family friend, James Van Der Beek, has transitioned after a hard-fought battle with cancer. He was an incredible husband and father.” He added, “We send our deepest prayers to his wife, Kimberly, and their six beloved children.”

Kimberly Van Der Beek also shared the fundraiser link on her Instagram Story, writing, “My friends created this link to support me and our children during this time. With gratitude and broken heart.”

James Van Der Beek’s cancer battle and public statements

Van Der Beek previously revealed that he was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in August 2023. He made the diagnosis public in November 2024 during a People cover story interview.

“I’ve been dealing with this pretty much in secret for a while, and in the past, I’ve found it helpful and cathartic to share things publicly. [...] And I’ve found a lot of support that way. But more than that, I really wanted to raise awareness,” he said at the time.