Inside Dawson's Creek 'curse' from Busy Philipps' brain tumour to tragic deaths
The cast of Dawson's Creek have been hit by numerous heartbreaks since filming wrapped(Image: Getty Images)
TL;DR
- Busy Philipps revealed a diagnosis of a grade 2 oligodendroglioma brain tumour, discovered one day after James Van Der Beek's death.
- James Van Der Beek, who played Dawson Leery, died in February 2026 at age 48 from bowel cancer.
- Michelle Williams experienced success with four Oscar nominations and two Golden Globes, but suffered the loss of her partner Heath Ledger.
- Katie Holmes had a highly publicized marriage to Tom Cruise, from whom she later divorced, gaining sole custody of their daughter Suri.
- Joshua Jackson's relationships included co-star Katie Holmes and actress Diane Kruger, and he is now married to Jodie Turner-Smith.
- Kerr Smith, who played Jack McPhee, now focuses on a holistic health and wellness business with his wife.
- Busy Philipps, after her talk show and memoir, is now recovering from brain tumour surgeries.