• The cancer affects the colon, rectum, and intestines.
• Van Der Beek praised Kimberly on Good Morning America for showing him unconditional love.
• The illness forced him to learn to rely on others, a humbling experience.

James Van Der Beek nearly broke down while praising his wife for her unwavering support during his colorectal cancer battle. According to the American Cancer Society, this type of cancer impacts the colon, rectum, and intestines.

The “One Tree Hill” actor recently revealed that the best support he received during his tough battle with cancer came from his wife, Kimberly Van Der Beek. Appearing on “Good Morning America”, he expressed deep gratitude to her in a heart-wrenching segment, saying she showed him what unconditional love truly means.

Van Der Beek got emotional when he said, “She’s — this is where I’m gonna lose it. She’s been amazing. She’s really taught me what unconditional love is.”

The “Dawson’s Creek” star admitted that the illness forced him to learn how to rely on others, a humbling experience for a man who has always handled everything himself. However, he found beauty in this, especially upon realizing the many people who showed up to support him.

The couple has six children—Olivia, Joshua, Annabel, Emilia, Gwendolyn, and Jeremiah—each coping with their father’s illness in their own way. However, Van Der Beek joked, “If I could get them to stop calling it butt cancer, I’d be psyched. My six-year-old asks almost every other day, ‘Daddy, how’s your butt cancer doing?'”

“They keep it light. But, again, it’s an opportunity for connection — to really go deep with them and ask them how are you feeling and be there with them. That’s led to some really beautiful moments as well,” added The Varsity Blues actor.

James Van Der Beek will appear in a two-hour Fox special, “The Real Full Monty”, to raise funds for testing and research on prostate, testicular, and colorectal cancer. He will be joined by Anthony Anderson from “Black-ish”, Tyler Posey from *Teen Wolf*, Bruno Tonioli from “Dancing With the Stars”, and others.

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