Katie Holmes’ Private Past With James Van Der Beek Revealed

The two young stars became household names on “Dawson’s Creek,” but behind the scenes, their connection ran deeper than fans realized. 

Now, a week after his demise, new details are shedding light on their quiet romance, the bond they carried for decades, and the emotional moments that followed before and after tragedy struck.

From the very beginning, James Van Der Beek and Katie Holmes felt a natural connection. As a teenager, Holmes admitted that her bond with the actor on “Dawson’s Creek” in 1997 “just kind of happened.” 

According to her, they had a lot in common and had mutual feelings. At the time, a then 20-year-old Van Der Beek said they “just kind of clicked from the read through.” 

“We got really lucky I think because we met each other like two days before we started shooting,” he shared per the Daily Mail.

That spark quickly translated onscreen as Dawson Leery and Joey Potter when the hit teen drama launched in 1998. 

The show ran until 2003 and became one of the most popular series among teenage girls, averaging six million viewers. 

Fans were drawn to their love story, unaware that the chemistry they saw on screen reflected something very real behind the scenes.

While viewers watched their romance unfold on television, insiders now say James Van Der Beek and Katie Holmes briefly dated in secret. 

According to sources, they kept the relationship quiet while filming in Wilmington, North Carolina.

One insider told theDaily Mail that the actress has told close friends that James was her “teen love.” 

“James and Katie dated for a bit,” the source said. “They tried to keep their relationship secret but everyone on the set knew about it. Then news of them being a couple began to filter out.”

At the time, Holmes was a shy 19-year-old from Toledo, Ohio, adjusting to sudden fame. “Katie was a shy 19-year-old and James was just into his twenties,” the insider continued. “They didn’t want to talk about their love lives in public, so they decided to keep quiet about it.”

The cast had grown close during those early years. A second insider explained, “The set was high school for the cast. Everyone had crushes on each other, and everyone at one point or another would date and hookup. Katie and James had a brief fling with each other.”

The source added that the two realized quickly they were better as friends and never made it an issue whatsoever.

After the show ended, James and Holmes moved forward in very different ways. 

The 47-year-old later married Tom Cruise in a lavish ceremony in November 2006. 

Nearly six years later, she filed for divorce and was granted full custody of their now 19-year-old daughter, Suri Noelle.

James on the other hand married Heather McComb in 2003, the same year the show ended, before they divorced in 2010. 

He later married film producer Kimberly Van Der Beek. Together they share six children, Olivia, Joshua, Annabel, Emilia, Gwendolyn, and Jeremiah.

The actor eventually left Los Angeles with his family for a quieter life in Texas. During that time, he experienced deep personal loss, including the death of his mother, Melinda Weber, in July 2020. 

Kimberly also endured multiple miscarriages, including two late-term. 

Family remained central to James’s life, even accompanying him while filming his final role in the upcoming horror movie “The Gates.”

Despite their different journeys, insiders say the bond between James Van Der Beek and Holmes never disappeared. 

One source shared that although they went on to have very different lives, Holmes admitted, “There would always be a strong bond between them. Especially for her as he was her teen love.”

In September 2025, much of the “Dawson’s Creek” cast reunited in New York City for a script reading benefiting F Cancer. 

The event was organized to support James after his 2023 diagnosis. Though he was expected to attend, he pulled out at the last minute due to a stomach virus. 

Instead, he sent a video message, while Lin-Manuel Miranda stepped in to read his role. His daughters also performed a sweet surprise solo tribute during the theme song singalong.

According to an insider, “Katie was upset she didn’t get to see James when the cast got together in New York last September for a special reading of the pilot episode.”

After the event, Holmes posted again, writing, “I will never find the words for what these three beautiful humans mean to me. For our shared journey. For our everlasting bond. James, Josh, Michelle… from April 1997 — I love you. James, you got this. We got you.”

Van Der Beek replied simply, “Love you! Thank you for being you.”

After a three-year battle with colorectal cancer, James tragically passed away on February 11. 

Holmes was left devastated by his death and took to Instagram to pay tribute.

She poured out her heart in a handwritten note, captioning the post, “I formed some words with a heavy heart. This is a lot to process. I am so grateful to have shared in a piece of James’ journey. He is beloved. Kimberly, we love you and will be here always for you and your beautiful children.”

In the note, Holmes revealed the Hollywood star was loved both in his lifetime and in death. She thanked James for being an inspiration to everyone around.

“James, thank you. To share a space with your imagination is sacred. Breathing the same air in the land of make believe and trusting that each other’s hearts are safe in their expression,” Holmes wrote.

The movie star finished the note by sending her heartfelt wishes to James’s wife, Kimberly, and their six children.