Alfonso Ribeiro Shares Photo of His ‘Last Moment’ with James Van Der Beek: ‘I Really Miss Him Already’

Ribeiro remembered the emotional moment with Van Der Beek, who died on Feb. 11 at the age of 48

Alfonso Ribeiro and James Van Der BeekAlfonso Ribeiro/Instagram

NEED TO KNOW

Alfonso Ribeiro offered an intimate look into James Van Der Beek’s final days before his death

In a touching Instagram post, Ribeiro shared a photo of him holding the late actor close in the last moments they spent together

Van Der Beek died on Feb. 11 after being diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer in 2023

One day after James Van Der Beek’s death, Alfonso Ribeiro is reflecting on saying goodbye.

The Dancing with the Stars host, 54, took to Instagram on Thursday, Feb. 12, to share an intimate moment between him and Van Der Beek, who died on Feb. 11 at the age of 48. The post featured a photo of Ribeiro holding the late actor’s head close to his as they laid in bed together.

“This was taken by @vanderkimberly just a few minutes before I said my last goodbye,” Ribeiro wrote, referring to the Dawson’s Creek alum’s wife, Kimberly Van Der Beek, as the photographer. “My last moment was making him laugh one last time. I really miss him already.”

Kimberly, who shares six children — Gwendolyn, 7, Olivia, 15, Annabel, 12, Emilia, 9½, and sons Joshua, 13, and Jeremiah, 4 — with Van Der Beek, announced her husband’s death in an Instagram post on Wednesday.

“Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning,” she wrote. “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.”

Later that afternoon, Ribeiro revealed that he was the godfather of Van Der Beek’s daughter, Gwendolyn, while posting an emotional tribute.

“I’m so broken right now with the passing of my friend @vanderjames today,” the comedian began. “He was my true friend brother and life guide. I was with him through this horrible journey to beat cancer. His family and friends went on this roller coaster ride. The highs when it looked like he had it beat to the breaking lows of it coming back. I’ve learned so much from james. He and @vanderkimberly changed my life. I will forever be in debt for all they’ve given me and my family. He will live forever in my heart.”

Ribeiro continued: “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. 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.”

Van Der Beek was first diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer in 2023 after getting a precautionary colonoscopy due to minor symptoms — such as a shift in bowel movements. In November 2024, he revealed the news publicly in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE.

“I have colorectal cancer. I’ve been privately dealing with this diagnosis and have been taking steps to resolve it, with the support of my incredible family,” he told PEOPLE at the time.

“There’s reason for optimism, and I’m feeling good,” Van Der Beek added. He also said that he felt the diagnosis was a “life redirect,” noting that he was “so blessed with my wife and kids” and had “a lot to live for.”

James and Kimberly Van Der Beek with their childrenJames Van Der Beek/Instagram

In December 2025, Van Der Beek made his final appearance in a televised interview with Today‘s Craig Melvin, which was filmed at his Texas home. While opening up about his health, the Varsity Blues star shared his continued optimism about how the diagnosis impacted his life.

“One of the things I was really lucky about was when I heard the news, I was like, ‘This is gonna be the best thing that’s ever happened to me,’ ” he revealed. “I had this little voice in my head that said, ‘You’re gonna make changes in your life that you would never, ever make if you didn’t have this extreme of a diagnosis, and it’s gonna add healthy, happy years to your life.’ “

“I think before cancer, I took all these little, beautiful moments as part of a collective,” he later added. “I was just aware of everything. And now I’m able, much more, to just settle into that exact moment. So presence is really the gift that cancer’s given me.” Van Der Beek also said, “I feel much, much better than I did a couple months ago,” before admitting: “It’s been a longer journey than I ever thought it would be. It’s required more of me — more patience, more discipline, more strength than I knew I had. I knew I was strong — I didn’t know I was this strong. But I feel good.”