Courtesy of Kimberly Van Der Beek/Instagram

Several years before James Van Der Beek was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer, he decided to get a vasectomy.

“I figured the only way we’re going to stop this is if we have some medical intervention,” Van Der Beek, 47, joked to People in an interview published on Saturday, November 9. “I said, ‘Listen, guys, you know Daddy has some surgery on his private parts, so just be really careful when you run up to me not to bump into anything.’”

James and wife Kimberly Van Der Beek, who have been married since 2010, share six children: Olivia, 14, Joshua, 12, Annabel,10, Emilia, 8, Gwen, 6, and Jeremiah, 3.

“We love having kids, but we didn’t really plan it out,” James recalled to People. “It just happened. We had one planned child. … The one thing we really sucked at was not getting pregnant. But thank God, honestly, because it’s such a struggle for people, and we really don’t take it for granted. I joke, and I laugh, but, like, yeah, we really just kind of got lucky that way.”

Kimberly, 42, previously suffered five miscarriages, of which two occurred in the late stages of pregnancy.

Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Santa’s Secret Workshop 2017

“Recovery goes in stages. You want to be better and then you realize you’ve got another little thing to unpack,” James exclusively told Us Weekly in March 2020 of grieving the pregnancy losses. “So, we’re just being there for each other and allowing ourselves to be in the process. The family is doing really well.”

In 2023, James found out that he was diagnosed with colorectal cancer. He privately underwent an undisclosed form of treatment before sharing his diagnosis earlier this month.

“There’s no way to get through this without [Kimberly],” the Dawson’s Creek alum added to People. “As much as it sucked this past year, there’s not a moment that I ever would have wanted to trade with her watching me go through this. To every caregiver out there, man, God bless you and thank you.”

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Related: James Van Der Beek Diagnosed With Colorectal Cancer: ‘I’m Feeling Good’

James Van Der Beek has been diagnosed with colorectal cancer. “I’ve been privately dealing with this diagnosis and have been taking steps to resolve it, with the support of my incredible family,” the Dawson’s Creek alum, 47, told People on Sunday, November 3. “There’s reason for optimism, and I’m feeling good.” James did not further […]

Kimberly, for her part, told the outlet that she and James have “weathered a lot of storms” throughout their marriage.

“This has been a really difficult year, but there’s been this underlying way that we savor life differently,” she said. “It feels like we understand what real true presence is, what savoring life feels like, finding the beauty in all of it.”

James and Kimberly live in Texas with their children and a menagerie of pets.