Alfonso Ribeiro is remembering the final hours he spent with James Van Der Beek, sharing an intimate bedside photo taken shortly before the actor’s death after a nearly three-year battle with colorectal cancer.
According to Page Six, the image shows Ribeiro holding Van Der Beek close and cradling his head. He said the photo was taken by Van Der Beek’s wife, Kimberly, just minutes before he said his last goodbye.
“My last moment was making him laugh one last time,” Ribeiro wrote. “I really miss him already.”
He later shared another photo of the two from earlier years, adding, “So much love lived in this friendship.”
Their relationship began when Van Der Beek competed on Season 28 of “Dancing with the Stars” in 2019.
Ribeiro co-hosted the show with Julianne Hough, and the connection between the two men grew beyond television. Ribeiro became the godfather to Van Der Beek’s daughter, Gwendolyn.
In a longer tribute, Ribeiro described the late actor as “my true friend brother and life guide,” saying he stayed by his side throughout the cancer fight.
“I will forever be in debt for all they’ve given me and my family,” he wrote. “He will live forever in my heart. I will always be there for their children. I will always hold my role as Gwen’s Goddie daddy as one of the most important roles of my life.”
He continued, “I love you James and know I have a guardian angel watching over me. Being able to say goodbye this weekend will always live with me. RIP my brother. RIP.”
Kimberly Van Der Beek announced that her husband “passed peacefully” Wednesday morning and said he met his final days with “courage, faith, and grace.”
Support has poured in since his death.
A GoFundMe created by friends to help Kimberly and their six children — Gwendolyn, Olivia, Joshua, Annabel, Emilia and Jeremiah — has raised more than $1 million. The page said the family was “out of funds” due to medical bills and facing “an uncertain future.”
Celebrity donors included Zoe Saldana, who set up a recurring $2,500 monthly contribution, along with Derek Hough, Ricki Lake, Lydia Hearst and Kaley Cuoco.
Former WWE star Stacy Keibler also shared one of her final moments with Van Der Beek, posting a photo of the two watching a sunset while he sat in a wheelchair.
“Spending these final days with you has been a true gift from God,” she wrote. “I have never been so present in my life.”
She said he used that time to share “wisdom, hopes, and the promises we made to each other,” adding, “The present moment is everything. Love the people in front of you. Say the words. Watch the sunset. Trust God, even when you don’t understand.”
