James Van Der Beek left Hollywood behind in September 2020, and what drove him away wasn’t fame—it was survival.
The Dawson’s Creek star, who died at 48 on February 11, 2026, made the decision to uproot his family from Beverly Hills to a 36-acre ranch in Austin, Texas after a series of devastating losses.
What Happened Before the Move
The months leading up to their relocation were brutal. Van Der Beek and wife Kimberly endured two late-term pregnancy losses that hospitalized her twice. His mother passed away. A business partner betrayed him. The pandemic shut down the world.
“In the last ten months, we’ve had two late-term pregnancy losses… we spent Christmas break thinking she had a tumor… my mom died,” Van Der Beek wrote on Instagram.
The Texas Escape
Key Facts:
- Moved from Los Angeles to Austin in September 2020
- Traveled 1,500 miles on a weeks-long road trip with 5 kids and pets
- Settled on a 36-acre property in Texas
- Sixth child, Jeremiah, was born in 2021 after the move
The family documented their cross-country journey, stopping at the Grand Canyon and rural New Mexico. In one video, Van Der Beek filmed a paraglider and wrote: “When people ask why we’re moving our kids out of L.A., these are just some of the reasons”.
Why Texas Worked
Kimberly told Austin Life magazine that Texas had “the capacity to heal” after she found an oak tree to meditate under during their anniversary trip. Van Der Beek felt the same energy he’d experienced filming Varsity Blues there at age 21.
“We wanted to give them space and we wanted them to live in nature,” Van Der Beek explained in 2021.
Life After LA
Two years into the move, Van Der Beek called the decision “really centering” for himself and his six children—Olivia, Joshua, Annabel, Emilia, Gwendolyn, and Jeremiah.
“The kids can watch the seasons change… it’s been grounding, and a different kind of education that we never could have offered them in a classroom,” he told People in 2022.
Why It Matters
Van Der Beek’s move reflected a larger Hollywood exodus during the pandemic, as celebrities traded city life for space and privacy. His death from bowel cancer at 48 makes his decision to prioritize family time in those final years even more poignant. The actor spent nearly six years building a sanctuary in Texas before his death was announced by Kimberly on February 11.
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