James Van Der Beek recently opened up about a powerful lesson he has learnt from his cancer diagnosis—one that he now passes on to his six children.

On the latest episode of the Whine Down with Jana Kramer podcast, the 48-year-old Hollywood actor talked about his cancer treatments and what they taught him, especially about fatherhood and self-love.

Van Der Beek revealed that his health problems have changed how he saw himself as a father, husband, and provider, saying, “all of a sudden, everything I built my self-worth on was not true.”

“I couldn’t be a father. I couldn’t be a husband. I couldn’t be a provider. I couldn’t be any of these things that I had used as my identity. The conclusion that I came to was that even without all that, I’m still worthy of love simply because I exist,” the Dawson’s Creek star shared.

Notably, the father of six, who was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in November 2024, wants his kids to understand they are “worthy of love” no matter what they do for others.

For the unversed, Van Der Beek met his now-wife Kimberly in July 2009 in Israel and tied the knot in August 2010. They had their first child, daughter Olivia, in September 2010.

It is pertinent to mention that they have welcomed five more children: daughters Annabel, Emilia, and Gwendolyn, and sons Joshua and Jeremiah, throughout their almost 15-year marriage.