James Van Der Beek secret debt problem comes to light after death

James Van Der Beek, a well-known star, recently passed away after battling with cancer. But, before being diagnosed with the disease, he was facing massive tax debt.

A report in TMZ offers a window into his financial strain before he was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer in 2023.

In 2021, an IRS tax lien was sent to Dawson's Creek star and his wife Kimberly in November 2021 after they did not pay $95,438.31 in 2018 and $173,890.31 in 2019, making a total of $269,328.62.

But a year later, the couple fully paid off the debt and the IRS lifted the lien in the same year. However, the next year, the late actor faced a shocking cancer diagnosis, whose treatment in the following years drained his wealth.

At the time of his financial struggle, Beek's friends stepped forward and helped his family pay the down payment on a 34-acre home in Texas, which they were renting.

The late actor's spokesman confirmed to People in a statement to People, "James secured down payment for the Texas ranch for the family with the help of friends through a trust so they could shift from rent to mortgage."

Moreover, after his death, Beek's inner circle also set up a GoFundMe page – raising $2 million – to financially help his family, which probably for the first time reveals the depth of secret money troubles they had.