"I’m grieving for the loss of such a beautiful person in our world," the "I Don't Want to Wait" singer wrote
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/Paula-Cole-James-Van-Der-Beek-021726-bbc868eb57474afdab461a0a208c3402.jpg "Paula Cole; James Van Der Beek")
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NEED TO KNOW
- Singer Paula Cole is remembering James Van Der Beek as a “wise, loving, and gentle soul”
- In an Instagram post Tuesday, Feb. 17, Cole also shared why she missed a Dawson’s Creek reunion fundraiser held in September 2025
- Cole notably recorded “I Don’t Want to Wait,” the theme song for the popular teen drama
Singer Paula Cole is sharing her memories of the late actor James Van Der Beek — and offering insight into why she missed a Dawson's Creek reunion held in New York City months before his death.
Cole remembered Van Der Beek, who played the titular character Dawson Leery in the teen drama series, as a "wise, loving, and gentle soul," in the caption of an Instagram repost on Wednesday, Feb. 17. "I’m grieving for the loss of such a beautiful person in our world, such a father to his family and husband to @vanderkimberly," Cole continued in the caption, which was shared alongside photos of the actor and his children.
Cole notably recorded "I Don't Want to Wait," which served as the theme song for Dawson's Creek, ahead of its release in January 1998. In September 2025, Van Der Beek's castmates from the series gathered in New York City for a reunion event to raise funds for the nonprofit F Cancer and for Van Der Beek, who was undergoing treatment following a colorectal cancer diagnosis in 2024.
Cole was not present at the 2025 fundraiser, and in her Instagram post, she explained that she was not able to attend the event because her mother was receiving hospice care.
"I wish I could have attended the fundraising event in NYC in the Fall, and to have met up with so many of the @dawsonscreek_official family, but my Mom has been in hospice," Cole shared. "Please know I am here in shared sadness and love for his family."
Following the event, Cole shared PEOPLE's video of Van Der Beek's daughters, Emma and Olivia, singing the iconic theme song at the reunion.
"Sending so much love and highest vibrations to you @vanderjames and your beautiful family 🙏❤️❤️❤️. Paula," she captioned the reposted video.
Van Der Beek was unable to attend the Dawson's Creek reunion in person due to contracting back-to-back stomach viruses, though he did make a surprise virtual appearance, in which he thanked the show's fans for their support.
"And just I want to stand on that stage and thank every single person in the theater for being here tonight," Van Der Beek said. "From the cast to the crew to everybody who's doing anything and has been so generous, and especially every single last one of you – you are the best fans in the world."
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Toward the end of her post, Cole shared a link to a GoFundMe fundraiser established by friends of the Van Der Beek family following the actor's death. "If you are so moved, please add your support to the Van Der Beek family fundraiser – link in my bio," Cole wrote. "Love is what we leave behind after a lifetime. And love lives eternally."
James Van Der Beek died on Feb. 11 at age 48, following a journey with stage 3 colorectal cancer. In 2024, the actor exclusively shared his diagnosis with PEOPLE and shared how people in his life have shown up for him during his illness.
“The way friends showed up was a really beautiful experience that I never would've had otherwise,” the Dawson's Creek alum told PEOPLE at the time. “To see just how much people cared about me and were willing to go the extra mile — again, just because I'd never really asked anyone for help.”