James Van Der Beek is expressing some pointed thoughts after revealing his colorectal cancer diagnosis.
In an Instagram post on Sunday, Nov. 3, the star, 47, who shared his health news exclusively with PEOPLE, apologized to his loved ones that had to learn about his diagnosis so suddenly via the media.
“It is cancer … Each year, approximately 2 billion people around the world receive this diagnosis. And I’m one of them,” Van Der Beek began. “There’s no playbook for how announce these things, but I’d planned on talking about it at length with People magazine at some point soon … 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.”
Detailing that he has “been dealing with this privately until now, getting treatment and dialing in my overall health with greater focus than ever before,” the actor continued, “I’m in a good place and feeling strong. 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 concluded. “Please know that my family and I deeply appreciate all the love and support. More to come …”
Alongside the statement, Van Der Beek shared a video compilation of photos of himself alone and with his children, set to “Autumn Breeze” by Richard LaForge.
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In an exclusive statement to PEOPLE earlier on Sunday, Nov. 3, Van Der Beek shared the health news.
“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 said in an exclusive statement.
“There’s reason for optimism, and I’m feeling good,” the Varsity Blues star added.
Colorectal cancer starts in the colon or the rectum, which make up the large intestine in the digestive system, per the American Cancer Society.
Van Der Beek has actively been working as he navigates his care, despite his diagnosis.
He recently appeared on an episode of Walker and he is next set to star in Sidelined: The QB and Me, a Tubi original film out Nov. 29. Van Der Beek has also prioritized time with his family — wife Kimberly Van Der Beek and their six kids: Olivia, Joshua, Annabel, Emilia, Gwendolyn and Jeremiah.
Next month, Van Der Beek is set to appear on The Real Full Monty, a two-hour special where a group of male celebrities including Taye Diggs, Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones and longtime Dancing with the Stars judge Bruno Tonioli will strip down to raise awareness for prostate, testicular, and colorectal cancer testing and research.
The event, inspired by the Oscar-nominated 1997 film The Full Monty, will be executive produced by Anthony Anderson.
The Real Full Monty is set to premiere on Dec. 9.
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