See the Sweet Way Alfonso Ribeiro’s Kids Are Cheering Him Up After James Van Der Beek’s Death

Ribeiro became a father in 2002 with the birth of his eldest child, daughter Sienna, whom he shares with his ex-wife, Robin Stapler. The actor and Angela wed in 2012, and the two welcomed AJ the following year. Their family continued to grow with the births of Anders and Ava in 2015 and 2019, respectively.

The couple were good friends with Van Der Beek, who died at the age of 48 on Wednesday, February 11. The Dawson’s Creek star was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer in August 2023 but did not go public with the news until November 2024. He is survived by his wife, Kimberly, and their six children. Ribeiro is the godfather of the couple’s youngest daughter, Gwendolyn, who was born in 2018.

Ribeiro paid tribute to his late friend with an emotional Instagram post on Wednesday. “I’m so broken right now with the passing of my friend @vanderjames today. He was my true friend brother and life guide,” he wrote alongside a photo of the two. “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.”

He 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.”

Angela called Van Der Beek her “brother from another” in an Instagram tribute of her own. “I’m going to miss our talks, our enlightening and humorous text chats, our ski adventures, but most of all your presence and the way you made everyone feel truly seen,” she captioned a photo of herself and the late actor on Wednesday. “Your words of wisdom and your beautiful insight changed me in ways that upgraded my whole being.”

She added, “I’ll miss your voice notes that always began with ‘hello, soul sister’… and even the way you teased me, from cutting pizza with scissors to my ‘peculiar’ humming on the ski slopes before first tracks, to my secret fascination with Korean TV. Thank you for every laugh, every lesson, every moment of light you shared so freely. You have enlightened me in ways I can’t fully explain.”

The following day, Ribeiro shared a heartbreaking photo of himself and Van Der Beek during their final visit. “This was taken by @vanderkimberly just a few minutes before I said my last goodbye,” he captioned the Thursday, February 12, Instagram post. “My last moment was making him laugh one last time. I really miss him already.”

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