Last November, James Van Der Beek announced that he’d been diagnosed with Stage 3 colorectal cancer in August 2023. Since then, he’s been receiving undisclosed treatments while still working when he can. He was supposed to attend the live Dawson’s Creek reunion in September, but had to pull out at the last minute because he fell ill with a stomach virus. James’ treatments are still ongoing, but cancer treatments are expensive. On Tuesday, he announced that he would be auctioning off several pieces of Dawson’s Creek and Varsity Blues memorabilia in order to help cover the “financial cost of fighting cancer.” Items include the necklace Dawson gave Joey at prom, Dawson’s flannel shirt, and the outfit he wore in the pilot.
James Van Der Beek is sharing some treasured pieces of his career memorabilia with fans. The actor, 48, has teamed up with Propstore to offer fans a rare opportunity to take home cherished items from his personal collection in their Winter Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction, which will be held Dec. 5–7, 2025.
The auction features items released to the public for the first time as Van Der Beek parts with wardrobe, props and set pieces that trace his career-defining moments. 100% of the proceeds from these items will go to Van Der Beek to help with the financial cost of fighting cancer. The actor and father of six was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer last year.
Dawson’s Creek fans will have a chance to own the necklace Dawson gifted Joey for prom, which is estimated to bring in anywhere from $26,400 to $52,800. Dawson’s pilot episode outfit is expected to bring in up to nearly $4,000, as well as other items from the series, which ran from 1998 to 2003.
For fans of Van Der Beek’s work in 1999’s Varsity Blues, there are the actor’s film-worn cleats and West Canaan Coyotes Hat.
“I’ve been storing these treasures for years, waiting for the right time to do something with them, and with all of the recent unexpected twists and turns life has presented recently, it’s clear that the time is now,” shares Van Der Beek.
“While I have some nostalgia tugging at me as I part with these items, it feels good to be able to offer them through Propstore’s auction to share with those who have supported my work over the years.”
Interested bidders can register now, with live in-room bidding taking place in London on Dec. 6, and global bidding available through Dec. 7, 2025.
I feel badly that James has to part with his memorabilia in order to help ease the financial burden of fighting cancer. Sadly, crowdsourcing medical treatments is so common, especially in America. It’s such an indictment on our healthcare system. No one should have to hustle or sell their belongings to pay for life-saving medical treatments. It should not be like this, yet, every day, regular people have to make different decisions about their health simply because we have a for-profit system. (Which is about to get worse thanks to the Big Beautiful Bill.) I was trying to figure out if James would have health insurance through SAG AFTRA. It looks like you have to work a certain amount of hours or meet an earnings threshold each year, which would explain why he’s still trying to work through his illness. Celebrities, they’re just like us.
If you’re interested in checking it out, here is the link to James’ items in the auction. There are seven different lots you can bid on. Looking at that page is taking me back down memory lane. I hope James is able to raise the funds he needs and can beat his cancer.
Photos credit: BlayzenPhotos/Backgrid (Candids, denim and floral outfits, July 2025), Roger/Backgrid (Candids, black outfits, March 2013), IMAGO/Faye Sadou/Avalon (Sidelined premiere, tweed jacket, November 2024), Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/Avalon (Overcompensating premiere, May 2025), Joy Scheller/Avalon (Dawson’s Creek 100th episode event, February 2002)