James Van Der Beek's GoFundMe Surpasses $1M Less Than 24 Hours Following His Passing; Fashion Week Kicks Off in NYC; National Plum Pudding Day

Arsenio Hall, Josh Brolin, Chynna Phillips, Christina Ricci, and more celebrate birthdays

From the LifeMinute.tv Team

February 12, 2026

James Van Der Beek's GoFundMe surpasses $1M less than 24 hours following his passing, while Hollywood friends share tributes
Van Der Beek died peacefully yesterday morning after a courageous, multi-year battle with stage 3 colorectal cancer. He had kept his diagnosis private since August 2023 before speaking publicly about it in November 2024. Meanwhile, Katie Holmes shared a heartfelt tribute to her Dawson’s Creek co-star. Holmes posted a poignant, handwritten letter to Instagram, reflecting on their years together and expressing her profound sadness. In her message, Holmes — who starred as Joey Potter opposite Van Der Beek’s Dawson Leery — wrote of her “heavy heart” while honoring his bravery, compassion, and unwavering strength. She described his life and devotion to his family as “the journey of a hero,” and vowed to “always be there” for his wife, Kimberly, and their six children: Olivia, Joshua, Annabel, Emilia, Gwendolyn, and Jeremiah.

Fashion Week kicks off in NYC
New York Fashion Week officially kicked off yesterday, with nearly 100 designers showing off their looks for the Fall/Winter 2026 season. Events run from February 11 through February 16.

Today’s holidays:
Giving Hearts Day, National Plum Pudding Day.

In today’s birthday news:
Musician Michael McDonald turns 74, actor Arsenio Hall 70, actor John Michael Higgins 63, actor Josh Brolin 58, singer/actress Chynna Phillips 58, actress Christina Ricci 46, rapper Gucci Mane 46, Abraham Lincoln was born this day in 1809.