Dan MacMedan-USA TODAY/JC Olivera/GA/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images
Academy Award-winning actress Zoe Saldaña has made a contribution to the GoFundMe that was set up in the wake of James Van Der Beek’s. The actress, 48 years old, is the highest-grossing actor in box office history.
After news of James Van Der Beek’s passing following a battle with cancer was announced earlier this weeke, a GoFundMe was launched for his family and was set with a goal of $550,000 (which was later upped to $1.5 million (at the time of publication, over $1.3 million has been raised).
Academy Award winning actress Zoe Saldana has set up a $2500 per month donation to James Van Der Beek’s family following his passing
Among the many donors, Zoe Saldaña’s name was spotted with a donation set to $2,500 every month. Via box office successes such as Star Trek, Avatar, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Saldana is the highest-grossing actress in box office history, a status she recently achieved with the release of Avatar: Fire and Ash.
Over the course of a year, $2,500 per month becomes $30,000. If assuming the money were only going to the support of his six children — the GoFundMe says the donations will go to “covering essential living expenses, pay bills, and support the children’s education” — that’s an extra $5,000 per year, per child from Saldana.
Zoe Saldana donating $2500 to James Van Der Beek’s family, MONTHLY, in the wake of his loss is just about the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. pic.twitter.com/NSyBGMaYQW
— shboogies 💋 (@shboogies) February 12, 2026
Additional celebrities donors spotted on the GoFundMe include Jon Chu, Derek Hough, Lydia Hearst and Ricki Lake.
“Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning. He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace. There is much to share regarding his wishes, love for humanity, and the sacredness of time. Those days will come. For now we ask for peaceful privacy as we grieve our loving husband, father, son, brother, and friend,” Van Der Beek’s family announced on Instagram.
Van Der Beek was best known for his starring role as Dawson Leery on The WB series Dawson’s Creek from 1998 to 2003. Additional prominent TV roles of Van Der Beek’s were playing a fictionalized version of himself on the cult ABC sitcom Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23 (2012–2013), FBI agent Elijah Mundo on CSI: Cyber (2015–2016), Matt Bromley on the FX drama Pose (2018).
On the big screen, Van Der Beek was known for roles in films such as Varsity Blues (1999), Texas Rangers (2001), The Rules of Attraction (2002), Labor Day (2013), and Bad Hair (2020).
Our thoughts are with Van Der Beek’s family, friends, fans, and various loved ones during this difficult time. May he Rest in Peace. F— cancer.