James Van Der Beek selling 'Varsity Blues' merchandise to combat 'financial burden' of cancer

Neither fame nor fortune will make you immune to cancer. 

Actor James Van Der Beek, 47, knows this all too well.

Van Der Beek, best known for his titular role in television's "Dawson's Creek" as well as his portrayal of backup quarterback Jonathan "Mox" Moxon in the 1999 picture, "Varsity Blues," announced on social media that he was selling jerseys emblazoned with the latter character's last name in celebration of the movie's 25th anniversary. 

"Each one personally autographed by me," he wrote in his Instagram caption. 

But he also shared that any profit made from the merchandise would go to help those impacted by cancer, himself included. "100% of my net proceeds will go to families recovering from the financial burden of cancer (including my own)," he wrote.

A representative for Van Der Beek did not immediately return Fox News Digital's request for more information on how proceeds would be allocated.

James Van Der Beek at the FOX Winter Press Day on November 18, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by JC Olivera/Variety via Getty Images)

Three weeks ago, Van Der Beek revealed that he had been diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer. In an effort to subvert a tabloid breaking the story, Van Der Beek shared his diagnosis on social media.

"There’s no playbook for how [to] announce these things, but I’d planned on talking about it at length with People magazine at some point soon," the "Dawson's Creek" heartthrob wrote on Instagram. "To raise awareness and tell my story on my own terms. But that plan had to be altered early this morning when I was informed that a tabloid was going to run with the news."

Van Der Beek wrote that he'd been handling the matter "privately" and was "getting treatment and dialing in" his "overall health with greater focus than ever before."

"It’s been quite the initiation, and I’ll tell you more when I’m ready. Apologies to all the people in my life who I’d planned on telling myself. Nothing about this process has occurred on my preferred timeline.… But we roll with it, taking each surprise as a signpost, pointing us toward a greater destiny than we would have discovered without divine intervention."

Van Der Beek, who shares six children with wife Kimberly, told People that his view of cancer before being diagnosed was skewed. 

"I’d always associated cancer with age and with unhealthy, sedentary lifestyles. But I was in amazing cardiovascular shape. I tried to eat healthy – or as far as I knew it at the time," he explained.

But then his bowel movements noticeably changed – something Van Der Beek chalked up to an unhealthy diet. 

"I thought maybe I needed to stop coffee," he shared. "Or maybe not put cream in the coffee. But when I cut that out and it didn’t improve, I thought, ‘All right, I better get this checked out.’"

After undergoing a colonoscopy and learning of his diagnosis, Van Der Beek said he "went into shock."

"This has been a crash course in the mastery of mind, body, and spirit," he said.. "I thought, ‘This is either going to take me out of the body, or it’s going to teach me how to truly live in it.'"

"The trickiest thing is there are so many unknowns with cancer," he continued, opting not to share his treatment plan or current health status. "You think, ‘How do I fix this? Is this healing me? Is this hurting me? Is this working? Is it coming back?’ As someone who likes answers, not knowing is one of the hardest things."

But Van Der Beek added that he's "cautiously optimistic," and has "a lot to live for." 

On Thanksgiving, he wrote on social media, "It’s been a tough year… and I’m thankful for all of it. For the giant life re-direct cancer has placed in my path. For the gift of knowing what it feels like to have friends come through on such a profound level, and in ways I never would have been able to ask for had I not been going through it," he said, adding that he was thankful for his fans and family's support.

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