Kimberly Van Der Beek is commemorating what would have been her 16th wedding anniversary with her late husband, actor James Van Der Beek, who died earlier this year.
On Sunday, Kimberly posted a tribute on Instagram, writing, "16 years ago I was the luckiest woman in the world to marry @vanderjames." She added that "the beauty of this marriage continues to unfold everyday with all these incredible children we have. He continues to be present and guide us. I'm eternally grateful."
The post included photos of the couple and James with their children. Kimberly and James wed in a "small spiritual ceremony" in Tel Aviv, Israel, on August 2, 2010. At the time of their wedding, Kimberly was pregnant with their first child.
The couple went on to have five more children, bringing their total to six. James Van Der Beek died in February at age 48 after a battle with stage three colorectal cancer.
His family announced his death in an emotional Instagram post, stating that his final days were met with "courage, faith, and grace."
James Van Der Beek's diagnosis was revealed in November 2024, when he shared on social media that he had been planning to discuss it with People magazine to raise awareness. He noted that a tabloid was planning to release the news prematurely, altering his timeline.
"I've been dealing with this privately until now, getting treatment and dialing in my overall health with greater focus than ever before," he wrote at the time. "I'm in a good place and feeling strong. It's been quite the initiation, and I'll tell you more when I'm ready."
During his health ordeal, Van Der Beek often updated fans on social media about his cancer journey. In an interview with Today, he mentioned feeling "a little bit better every month" and that the experience required "more patience, more discipline" and "more strength than I knew I had."
His last Instagram post was on January 25, where he appeared slender but healthy, sending birthday wishes to his daughter and father.
James Van Der Beek is survived by his wife Kimberly and their six children: Olivia, Joshua, Annabel Leah, Emilia, Gwendolyn, and Jeremiah.