The residents of Capeside form an unbreakable support network all their own. In the lead-up to the Dawson’s Creek cast reunion on September 22—a F--k Cancer benefit organized in solidarity with their co-star James Van Der Beek, who revealed last year that he is waging a battle against stage 3 colorectal cancer—fellow Capesider Mary-Margaret Humes disclosed her own private struggle with colon cancer in 2007.
“It was nearly breaking through the wall,” the 71-year-old actress shared with *Us Weekly* in an interview published September 16. “It could’ve turned into a disaster, but we caught it just in time. My doctor said we dodged a serious bullet, and it was all thanks to early detection.” Mary-Margaret—who portrayed Dawson Leery’s (James’ character) mother, Gale Leery, on the show—added, “Cancer is survivable, but you have to go out and get screened. Thankfully, that’s part of James’ journey too.”
Beyond participating in the upcoming fundraiser—a live reading of the WB series’ 1998 pilot episode—Mary-Margaret emphasized her unwavering support for James throughout his ordeal. “We’ve had countless heartfelt, uplifting, and even spiritual conversations,” she continued. “He knows I’m here for him, 100 percent. He’s going to get through this, and we’re all standing by him.”
Indeed, the entire main cast—including Katie Holmes, Busy Philipps, Joshua Jackson, and Michelle Williams—is set to attend the benefit. “This was our chance to reunite, all of us together, and celebrate James’ life,” Mary-Margaret explained. “He’s facing an incredibly tough situation; he remains optimistic, but it’s still difficult. As his TV family, we knew we had to rally around him and show up.”
And it’s not just the Leery matriarch who has been vocal about her support. James, who shared in July that his fight against cancer will “probably be a lifelong process,” has also received heartfelt messages from his onscreen peers. Michelle Williams, who played his romantic counterpart, declared, “Our bond will last a lifetime.”
“We wanted to gather around our dear friend James and remind him that we’re all here for him—always have been, always will be,” Michelle stated in an August 20 message to *Us Weekly*. “And I know the fans of *Dawson’s Creek* feel the exact same way.”
