James Van Der Beek was diagnosed with Stage 3 colorectal cancer in August 2023 and has been receiving treatments since. He’s also still working when he feels well enough to do so, possibly so that he can continue to qualify for health insurance coverage. Regardless of your insurance situation, cancer treatments in America can get expensive. To help cover the “financial cost of fighting cancer,” James raised $47,000 after auctioning off several pieces of Dawson’s Creek and Varsity Blues memorabilia in December.
When Paul Walter Hauser got wind of James’ auction, it “didn’t sit well” with him. So, he decided to do a fundraiser or two of his own. First, Paul is working with Cameo to raise money for James’ cancer treatments. If you aren’t familiar with Cameo, it’s a website where fans can commission actors, reality TV stars, and other public figures to film a personalized video. The Cameo goal is $20,000 by March 1. Once that’s finished, Paul plans to do a celebrity auction to raise additional funds. The auction will feature items and autographs donated by his famous friends.
“James Van Der Beek started selling his old stuff from his past acting jobs to pay for his colorectal cancer treatments, and it didn’t sit well with me,” Paul, 39, wrote on a Jan. 23 Instagram post. “I am an actor and father of 3 children, and I want them inheriting my trinkets/wardrobe/memorabilia someday.”
The Luckiest Man in America actor added, “I wouldn’t want to auction off a Stingray shirt or Marvel script to make ends meet for treatment.”
In partnership with Cameo, a video-sharing platform, Paul also shared how he intends to reach his monetary goal.
“Please repost this and spread the love by spreading the word,” Paul—who shares kids Harris, 4, Jonah, 2, and Isla Grace, 6 months, with wife Amy Boland Hauser—continued. “I am trying to raise 20k by March 1st, through recorded Cameo videos, and then I plan to do an auction of celebrity friends’ personal items and autographs (Josh Gad, Becky Lynch, Jimmy Kimmel, and many many more-) to continue our support of a fellow actor, father and husband who has rolled a painful pair of dice these last couple years.”
“I’ve always liked James Van Der Beek and he seems like a really good dude,” he added. “Let’s help him out in this difficult moment. Prayers Up 4 The Beek!”
I did some research and according to the Internet, Paul and James have only met once, all the way back in 2010. Raising money for someone you met once, 15 years ago, is a very kind, compassionate thing to do. Paul must be one of those helpers that Mr. Rogers was talking about because he’s also done fundraisers and donated thousands of dollars for causes such as Relay for Life’s Cancer Charity Walk, Smile Train, Neighborly, and ServeLA. Paul’s cameo videos begin at $60 for individuals and $500 for businesses. As of Tuesday evening, he’s raised almost $3,000 towards the $20k goal.
Last month, James gave an update about his health on the Today show, saying that he was still “trying a bunch of stuff” for treatments and was feeling better than he had felt months earlier when he missed the live Dawson’s Creek reunion for a double stomach virus. He also acknowledged that fighting cancer was a “longer journey than I ever thought it would be.” Everyone’s cancer journey is different, difficult, and personal. James is very fortunate to have a community of friends, acquaintances, and strangers alike supporting him.
Photos credit: Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/Avalon, Faye Sadou/Avalon and via Instagram
My dad died of colorectal cancer, and my heart aches for what James is going through. God bless Paul Walter Hauser for being such a generous, kind-hearted human. Only compassion and solidarity will save us.
This is incredible, and yet, it shouldn’t have to be this way. We shouldn’t have to rely on the kindness of strangers to crowdfund healthcare. This country has SO much to be ashamed for.
That was my first thought as well. The orange menace had a wonderful time at mar-a-lago this past weekend, complete with vintage women-in-bubbles in the pool entertainment, while citizens get killed by his goons and people can’t afford life-saving treatment. What a wonderful time to be alive. /s
I recently learned that Paul identifies as Christian — but he must be one of the Rick Steves kind of Christians who actually try to do good things for others, not the regular American kind.
I don’t know what kind of Christian James is but I know that in 2023 he and his wife were anti-vaccines, so when he shared his cancer diagnosis I wondered if he would embrace chemotherapy.
I also wondered/worried about whether his anti-vaccine stance would also mean that he rejected Western treatments like chemotherapy. I really hope not. He and his wife just love (or loved) RFK Jr and wanted his as the democratic presidential nominee. I hope he’s listening to real doctors now.
I believe he’s said in the past that he has tried chemotherapy.
I was first introduced to Paul Walter Hauser in BlackkKlansman and have been following his work since. He’s an incredible actor and it’s nice to see that his heart & humanity is just as incredible. Very inspiring, we need more like him.
I think of the Kardashian’s and how much $$ they have, I wish they’d help him out.
Ok so I’m not saying that every rich person should donate their money when someone is ill… but you’re telling me the guy has to sell off his possessions when he has friends and former co-workers who are millionaires and could easily help cover his monthly insurance premium so his costs are lower? They are really crowd sourcing for $20K when some of the people around him earn that in a day on set? Maybe those friends are helping in other ways we don’t know about but really?!
I got diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer at 41. I had amazing treatment: chemo, surgery, radiotherapy- all free. My pain meds and anti sickness tablets: free. Counselling after: free. Complementary therapies: free. Yearly mammograms: free. It was a truly dreadful time in my life but it made absolutely no impact on me financially. Why Americans don’t believe in Medicare for All I will just never understand. I have a good job and my monthly tax is no where near your insurance premiums and co pays!!! This fundraising just should never be necessary
Completely agree but will add that Medicare did not cover all of my dad’s treatments when he was battling cancer. We spent close to $30,000 in the first six months alone.
I am achingly envious of having valuable enough keepsakes left to sell or the money to buy them or even friends who would crowdfund without it being too high a cost for them to bear.
I really, really do hope he gets the absolute best care and is surrounded with love and hope and healing. My uncle died of the same cancer as a complication to AIDS, and it was terrible. I am happy he has people around him that love him so much. Having something to fight for and feeling like you have a team is so critical to any kind of recovery.
I am so filled with despair for everyone in need right now. And really, that’s all of us. The collective trauma of what’s happening in the world is so much and always. Sometimes at my worst I sit curled in the bottom of my closet and try to clear my head and with every breath send out a desire for healing and hope and a future, and broadcast it on a wide band. I want everyone everywhere to get a hit of good solid spiritual and physical healing so we can start fixing shit. It’s all the meditation I’ve got.
My parents were bankrupted trying to treat my dad’s cancer, unsuccessfully. My mother is now terminally ill and we are cutting everything we can and selling everything we can and folding everything down into their smallest parts while attempting any new revenue avenues we can muster. I am acutely aware there are so many people suffering so much more and so desperate because my mother was a front line worker in healthcare and I have been a volunteer and activist since I was a teenager. We are trying to stay independent as long as possible and ask nothing from anywhere it would take resources from those who need it even more. We are just trying to keep her last months as comfortable and meaningful as possible. By which I mean shelter with regulated temperature (this impacts her condition, both in terms of accelerating the disease and causing suffering), food, palliative medication, the reassurance that her cats will be cared for, and some quiet happiness with her remaining family (me. just me). That doesn’t seem like much to me but it’s such a fight to maintain.
I am beyond broken-hearted. This country has turned me into something. I don’t even feel human some days. Just made of stone and facing forward to get through hours and days to whatever is next.
I can’t even identify the way this makes me feel but in the gross ball of anger and sorrow and envy and grief and regret and horror and need to FIX IT, I just really really hope every one of y’all out there is surviving today and okay enough to want to survive tomorrow. In all of this, I am really grateful to show up and see y’all here. Please take care of yourselves and know you are appreciated and loved. Every one of you.
I have friends in common with JVB, and he is an absolutely wonderful dude, husband and father. I am a judgmental a-hole, too, so that means a great deal coming from me.