James Van Der Beek says he has “newfound gratitude” for his wife, Kimberly Van Der Beek.
It was just over a week ago that the Dawson’s Creek alum shared the heartbreaking news that his wife had suffered a miscarriage. James announced the loss while competing on Dancing With the Stars. After hearing James’ devastating news, fans around the world have been sending the family love and support.
In the hours following James’ announcement, Kimberly thanked everyone via social media for their love, while also confirming “we lost our baby boy.” Kimberly also shared, “I almost lost my life.”
On Friday, James took to Instagram to share a photo of his wife resting after Thanksgiving dinner with loved ones. In his tribute post, James also thanked fans for their support after the “really scary” experience.
“In a place of newfound gratitude to have @vanderkimberly in this world today,” James began his post. “Got really scary for a minute there – scary enough to wake me up to how much appreciation I have for so many things I just take for granted. Also… thankful for all of you.”
“I’ll admit, I paused for a moment, wondering if it was healthy to be thankful for one’s IG following, but it’s the quality of people on here I’m grateful for, not so much the quantity,” the actor continued. “I’d never been so open (especially with tragedy) as I’ve been these last few weeks, and you responded with love and support and prayers and shared your own stories, and we felt the energy… and it helped. So thank you.”
Kimberly also shared a heartfelt message of her own on Thursday, posting a series of photos from the couple’s Thanksgiving celebration with family and friends.
“So I would like to respectfully honor our beautiful native people and acknowledge the pains of the past and present that often get over looked on Thanksgiving when we historically have told false and misleading tales,” Kimberly wrote to her Instagram followers. “All the while I would like to still give gratitude. I hope that piece of the holiday remains in tact, always.”
“I am more grateful for life than I have ever been,” she continued. “For my husband. My children. My family. His family that is my family. An incredible hospital nearby. For my friends that are family ( @rosettagetty and @baltgetty your holiday love over all these years means so much). Even the messes that drive me crazy, the traffic, the disagreements, I’m here for all of it. IM HERE! I’m alive! My voice is beautiful and powerful. I’m grateful for it. I allow it to move through.”
“My body is a gift. I am grateful for it and will care for it. I’m grateful for the universal life force energy that exists within all of us. I’m grateful. My dear friends, my trybe, the people that exchange smiles along the way. Thank you,” Kimberly concluded her post. “And for those of you taking a moment to share in my message, thank you.”