James Van Der Beek’s 9-year-old daughter says ‘he’s not in pain anymore,’ shares grief on birthday

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: James Van Der Beek’s 9-year-old daughter, Emilia, honored her late father on Instagram nearly a month after his death. On his first birthday since passing on March 8, she shared her feelings and how she’s coping with the loss.

The Dawson’s Creek actor, James Van Der Beek, died in February 2026 at the age of 48 after a battle with stage 3 colorectal cancer, leaving behind his wife and six children.

James Van Der Beek's daughter remembers late actor on his birthday

Emilia began, "As you all probably know, my dad has passed away." She then shared some tips to help others cope when someone they love dies.

"Today is my dad's birthday, and the number one thing for somebody's passing is to talk to them and let your emotions out," she said. "If you miss them, you can cry. You can talk to them. I talk to my dad every day. I start with a sentence, and I say, 'Hi, Dad. I miss you and I love you so much, and I'll never stop loving you.'"

"I tell him about my day and how I’m feeling," Emilia added. "I told my family how I'm feeling. And I know he can hear me, but I can't hear him."

She emphasized, "You have to feel them in your heart, because they're in your heart. They're watching over you. They're a part of your body and in a good place."

"I know that my dad's in a good place," she continued. "He's not in pain anymore. He's in heaven above the clouds with God and the Lord."

Emilia shares lessons James Van Der Beek taught her

Emilia said that when someone you love dies, it’s okay to feel both happy and sad. "Be happy they’re in a good place, but also be sad because you miss them," she said. She added, "Everybody has different emotions in their body, and they express it in different ways. Many, many different ways."

In her video, Emilia also shared some lessons her dad taught her. "Everything is meant to happen for a reason," she said. "Something my dad told me was if this doesn't work out the way he wanted it to and the way we wanted it to for him living, I still have to believe in miracles. Miracles can still happen, just later on in life, and they'll keep coming."

She also talked about small ways she remembers her dad. "I stole his hat," she said. "My dad's hat smells like him, and I love it so much."

Emilia ended the video by thanking fans who donated to the GoFundMe for their family, which has raised more than $2.7 million so far. James and Kimberly had six children: Olivia, 15; Joshua, 13; Annabel, 12; Emilia, 9; Gwendolyn, 7; and Jeremiah, 4.

Kimberly celebrates her late husband's birthday

On Sunday, March 8, James’s wife, Kimberly Van Der Beek, shared a series of posts on her Instagram Stories to remember her husband. She also posted a video from their daughter, Emilia, writing, "Emilia asked me if she could make a video to post today, walked outside and came back with this.

In my stories are a whole lot of photos and some videos. All I want to do is watch videos of him right now with the kids. Thank you for the tremendous heart, love and support for the family.

James… We will celebrate March 8th every day for the rest of our lives."