Before his death, James Van Der Beek made a quiet move that spoke louder than words. He secured something lasting for his wife and six children, and the timing gives it added weight.James Van Der Beek died February 11, 2026, at 48, following a two-year battle with colorectal cancer. He had been living with his wife and six children at their ranch outside Austin, Texas.In his final months, much of what was happening remained out of public view.ames Van Der Beek attends the iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas on September 20, 2019 | Source: Getty ImagesBehind the scenes, James had entered hospice care.”James was onhospice for several weeks and he was rail thin when he passed,” a source exclusively told the outlet. “He was mostly in bed because he was very weak, and he was not eating.”

The source added that there was little more doctors could do. He “had not been in treatment for a while because there was nothing more the doctors could do, the cancer was aggressive.”Suddenly, his words about resting and recovery take on a different meaning. Around the same time, another development was quietly unfolding.ames Van Der Beek attends 2024 FOX Winter Press Day in Los Angeles, California on November 18. | Source: Getty ImagesAccording to Realtor.com, James purchased the Texas ranch where he and his family had been living just one month before his death. Property records indicate the couple closed on the 36-acre Spicewood estate on January 9 for $4.76 million.He and Kimberly had first relocated to the property in 2020 after leaving Beverly Hills. At the time, they chose to lease the ranch while determining whether Texas would become their permanent home.