Kimberly Van Der Beek celebrated her daughter Emilia’s 10th birthday with a tender tribute to both the girl and her late husband James, sharing a photo of the couple together on Instagram Stories.
“I miss you my love,” Kimberly wrote alongside the snap, which she described as taken “just a few heavenly months ago.”
In the photo, the Dawson’s Creek The actor is seen leaning into a hug from Emilia outdoors, wrapped in a fur-lined jacket, while his daughter rests her arms on his shoulders and her head on his in an oversized sweatshirt.
James died on February 11 at the age of 48, after a nearly three-year battle with stage 3 colorectal cancer.
He and Kimberly, who married in 2010, had six children together: Olivia, 15, Joshua, 13, Annabel, 12, Emilia, Gwendolyn, 7, and Jeremiah, 4.
He had been diagnosed in the summer of 2023, but waited until November 2024 to share the news publicly. “He faced his final days with courage, faith and grace,” Kimberly said in announcing his passing.
Emilia has shown remarkable maturity in the weeks since her father’s death.
On what would have been James’ 49th birthday earlier this month, he posted a video on Instagram offering words of comfort to others going through grief, while wearing his father’s hat.
