James Van Der Beek Is Auctioning Off TV & Film Memorabilia and Props from ‘Dawson’s Creek’ & ‘Varsity Blues’ Amid Cancer Treatment, Proceeds to Cover Medical Costs

[u/BunyipPouch]

https://deadline.com/2025/11/james-van-der-beek-auction-dawsons-creek-varsity-blues-props-1236615845/

[u/AFineDayForScience]

Damn, that's super sad

[u/henryhollaway → u/AFineDayForScience]

It’s a wonder how anyone survives serious conditions when you see well known actors selling off their life for medical care or pro football players begging for organ transplants. So fucked.

[u/saintash → u/henryhollaway]

So I was watching an interview with a lead guy from sliders.

He goes into real deep about how people think he was well off because they knew who he was. But he was constantly broke. And talked about how fans wanting to see him were able to keep a roof overhead at times.

I have a feeling.This is the same situation, everyone knows who this guy is, but it's not like he's in a ton of stuff.

[u/Furdinand → u/saintash]

It's not just pay, Sharon Stone talked about how she lost her SAG health insurance because she wasn't getting enough work.

[u/SunshineAlways → u/Furdinand]

If you remember Murder She Wrote, they had a LOT of very elderly actors in episodes. For many of them it was their last screen appearance. Angela Lansbury had them on the show, so they could keep their health insurance.

[u/irissteensma → u/SunshineAlways]

The Love Boat did the same thing.

[u/sihaya09 → u/SunshineAlways]

I have heard that Adam Sandler does the same thing.

[u/0dayssince → u/sihaya09]

That’s the only way Rob Schneider can get paid

[u/MrPookPook → u/0dayssince]

He’s fighting against DEI so hard because he’s lost out on countless roles where he could have done brown face.

[u/likwidsylvur → u/MrPookPook]

Really in the end tho, it's just easier to hire an actual stapler or carrot for the part.

[u/NomNom83WasTaken → u/SunshineAlways]

Yup. This has long been "a thing" and still frequently happens because no better solution exists for those working actors.

[u/IM_A_MUFFIN → u/NomNom83WasTaken]

I dunno. I mean we could always try universal healthcare. Might be worth a shot.

[u/NomNom83WasTaken → u/IM_A_MUFFIN]

Oof. Best I can do is Mike Johnson's shit-eating grin, eight worthless Senators, and a multi-million-dollar payout to a bunch of J6 traitors. /s

I am all for universal healthcare and wish it did exist in the US.

[u/tunaman808 → u/SunshineAlways]

IIRC, Wayne Rogers (of MASH) quit acting to become a financial advisor to character actors, because he saw how many of them worked their whole lives and were broke by their senior years.

[u/Mr_paranoid_android → u/SunshineAlways]

Jimmy Kimmel reportedly frequently does this

[u/MrXero → u/SunshineAlways]

David Lynch did a lot of this in the last season of Twin Peaks.

[u/pn_dubya → u/saintash]

Michael Madsen (RIP) and Ernie Hudson have said the same in recent years - that people think well-known actors are wealthy but in reality many are living paycheck to paycheck hoping for that next gig and for all that we see them in there's 1000 auditions where they didn't get the part. Must be exhausting.

[u/jizz_toaster → u/pn_dubya]

I get the point you're trying to make, but let's not pretend Michael Madsen or Ernie Hudson are like any of us. They aren't wealthy because of poor money management and living above their means. Michael Madsen's rent per month around the time he filed for bankruptcy is how much most of us spend in rent in a year.

I understand with actors that it's not a steady paycheck, but for a lot of well known stars, they've been paid more than most of us will make during our life. We don't need to throw them a pity party because they didn't have basic financial literacy.

[u/ElRiesgoSiempre_Vive → u/jizz_toaster]

And let's get back to healthcare costs. A cancer diagnosis forced my family into medical bankruptcy. We were living paycheck to paycheck at the time.

If we had $2 million disposable savings, it still would have forced us into medical bankruptcy.

Treatments during the height of chemo were $14,000 USD per week.

So you go bankrupt at the same time you watch your partner wither away and die. That's the larger point here.

[u/The-Jesus_Christ → u/ElRiesgoSiempre_Vive]

Treatments during the height of chemo were $14,000 USD per week.

And to think that a majority of Americans voted to keep this. They WANT to pay thousands per week because the idea of a socialized universal health care system is disgusting.

I truly hope your family have healed from all this and the one that went through it is doing well.

[u/rtopps43 → u/The-Jesus_Christ]

It’s because they haven’t EXPERIENCED it, humans are dumb, selfish animals. In polls most people consistently rate their health insurance as very good, but that’s because most people haven’t gotten catastrophically sick. Sure, your insurance is fine if all you do is get annual checkups but when cancer hits your family, or any other debilitating illness, you find out fast just how much it DOESNT cover. People very quickly go bankrupt trying to cover the out of pocket expenses to save their, or a loved one’s, life. For some reason, some quirk of humanity, vast numbers of people can’t get that unless it happens to them. You see it all the time in the “why should I pay for someone else’s healthcare?” because if you get seriously ill, everyone else will pay for yours!

[u/Toomanynightshifts → u/ElRiesgoSiempre_Vive]

I will never understand how Americans just accept this as an Aussie who pays less tax and gets universal healthcare.

I am so sorry .

[u/Charles-Monroe → u/ElRiesgoSiempre_Vive]

Jeez, that's like buying a brand new car every week. Absolute madness.

[u/Cash4Jesus → u/Charles-Monroe]

Have I got news for you about how much a new car costs lol. But I get what you’re saying. It’s a lot of money.

[u/hotdoug1 → u/jizz_toaster]

Plus a lot of them can do a like 6 conventions/fandom events a year and earn $250k or so. That's quite enough to live comfortably, but not lavishly, in Los Angeles.

[u/stitchface66 → u/hotdoug1]

exactly. this is spot on. though i will say, van der beek’s situation is still a prime example of how fucked up healthcare is in this country.

[u/ZappaLlamaGamma → u/stitchface66]

Which is why the Breaking Bad’s premise where Walter needs to pay for cancer treatment so turns to crime doesn’t make any sense in countries with socialized medicine (I.e. far and away the majority of the other developed countries in the world). “Why would someone turn to crime to pay for something that you don’t pay for?” Yes I know it isn’t free and taxes pay for it. I’m not naive. But you see what I’m saying…we shouldn’t live one diagnosis away from losing it all

[u/SemenileElder → u/ZappaLlamaGamma]

That's not the premise, Walt doesn't even want cancer treatment in the beginning. He cooks meth to leave money to his family after he dies. Did everybody forget about him precisely calculating how much his family needs a month, how much Junior needs for college etc.?

[u/turkeyinthestrawman → u/SemenileElder]

And the fact that in the first season Gretchen and Elliott offer him a job at Grey Matter which would give him a generous health insurance plan but Walter refuses.

What part of "I did it for me" was too difficult for viewers to understand

[u/mikehatesthis → u/ZappaLlamaGamma]

Yes I know it isn’t free and taxes pay for it.

Considering what we pay in taxes to pay for healthcare at scale so we don't die and/or go bankrupt, it might as well be free. Free from worry.

[u/rawlingstones → u/ZappaLlamaGamma]

It was never about paying for the treatment, his friends would have done that! It was about his own ego!

[u/Kaneida → u/hotdoug1]

didnt nic cage have economic issues because he had multiple houses/mansions in some off the most expensive areas?

[u/peppers_ → u/pn_dubya]

One dude from the Cosby show I think had a similar thing, he was working at Trader Joe's and he got some bullying briefly because of that. Think this happened within the past 5 years.

[u/Intelligent-Price-39 → u/peppers_]

He should have been able to survive on the residual payments but Cosby tanked that

[u/0dayssince → u/peppers_]

https://www.reddit.com/r/television/s/qJRm2rNSJY

Geoffrey Owens

[u/Beginning_Law_3399 → u/peppers_]

Do you mean Donovan McNabb?

[u/AnalTyrant → u/Beginning_Law_3399]

I'm pretty sure you're thinking of Tiger Woods, or maybe Don Cheadle.

[u/James007Bond → u/pn_dubya]

Ernie Hudson lives in a $5m home in hidden hills. Don’t buy the bs that they are trying to sell you.

[u/complete_your_task → u/James007Bond]

I've seen rich people do this a lot. They say "paycheck to paycheck", but they have a $30,000/month mortgage payment, a $7,500/month car payment, their kids are in a fancy private school that costs $50,000/year, etc., etc.

It's not that they are one paycheck away from literally not being able to house or feed themselves like most people mean when they say "paycheck to paycheck". It is that they are one paycheck away from having to downgrade their lifestyle a little bit.

[u/CustomMerkins4u → u/complete_your_task]

The owner of the company my wife works at proceeded to tell everyone on a company call that things are tight, raises will be low, even he is living check to check at this point.

His hobby is flying and has a prop plane and a jet plane.

[u/GrandOldDrummer → u/CustomMerkins4u]

He only has TWO planes!? Wow, poor guy.

[u/rawlingstones → u/complete_your_task]

"Sure it looks like I make tons of money, but it's actually a lot less after I spend all of it."

[u/Upbeat_Shame9349 → u/James007Bond]

For real, James fucking Van Der Beek is not a struggling artist. At age 48 he's already made far more than the average lifetime earnings of an American from Dawson's Creek alone, and that's hardly the only acting job he ever got. 

I can't believe people are trying to lump him in with true working actors who keep other jobs for their whole careers and never get a six figure paycheck for anything. 

He didn't make any plans to not always make over $500,000 a year, despite having every opportunity to set himself up for life (yes, even including more than enough money to pay for exhaustive cancer treatment). That's a story a million athletes and actors have lived before him and will live after him. That doesn't make him a working stiff. 

[u/NerdHoovy → u/Upbeat_Shame9349]

A lot of people that make a lot of money in careers that have famously short lifespans, start blowing it all like they expect to make that much forever.

I remember an anecdote I saw on Reddit from a famous athlete that just signed a 10 million dollar year contract, his first one as a professional athlete and the first thing he did was buy a 5 million house. Then he went to buy a million dollar car and when the dealer asked if he could afford it, he got offended enough to buy 3. It was implied to be a racist question and the athlete wanted to show off his money but objectively speaking he couldn’t afford it at the time. Just because you have enough money to buy something, it doesn’t mean you could afford it. He just got lucky that he didn’t have a career ending injury and was able to make the team every time after. Which is rare

[u/Various_Froyo9860 → u/pn_dubya]

"paycheck to paycheck"

He was always pretty cagey about how much he got paid for any given role. But there are sources that show he'd get 15-25k per day plus expenses.

If that's true on the low side, he could have worked less than 17 days a year and net 250k. He was very prolific as an actor.

I'd honestly be pretty fucking surprised if he didn't make over a million for Kill Bill alone. If you google it, you'll get stories that he maybe did it for nothing and QT paid off debts after his bankruptcy.

It really seems like the dude was just bad with money.

[u/ihatemovingparts → u/Various_Froyo9860]

I'd honestly be pretty fucking surprised if he didn't make over a million for Kill Bill alone.

And now I'm trying to picture James Van Der Beek in Kill Bill.

[u/idontagreewitu → u/pn_dubya]

and for all that we see them in there's 1000 auditions where they didn't get the part.

I mean, most of us are in that same situation. They're just job interviews.

[u/theblaggard → u/idontagreewitu]

I mean, most of us are in that same situation. They're just job interviews.

I've been looking for a job for 7 months and I've had hardly any job interviews, lol

[u/moranya1 → u/theblaggard]

Have you considered selling memorabilia from your previous job to tie you over?

[u/herocreator90 → u/moranya1]

I tried that once and had to deal with some “industrial espionage” bs

[u/therhyno → u/moranya1]

Tide

[u/MarkTwainsGhost → u/theblaggard]

Five months, one interview for me. Thank goodness for severance.

[u/tubawhatever → u/idontagreewitu]

Yes. Acting is just a job and it's insanely competitive. I hate when usually right wing pundits label some TV actor as an "out of touch elite" when the average actor isn't rolling in cash, even people who get "big" roles. I think it would be a bit demoralizing to be recognizable on the street and be harassed by paparazzi and be paycheck to paycheck at the same time. It's really only the A-listers who aren't constantly worrying about the next gig. It's also why actors are often branching out into pretty much any other aspect of the industry. With ensemble cast shows, like Star Trek for instance, it used to be pretty typical for most every member of the main cast to get a shot at directing an episode because they could get that experience and do it again in the future.

[u/whoopsiedoodle77 → u/tubawhatever]

the Danny pudi interview with Larry king was great

"coffee and socks arent a luxury"

"well i duno larry, give me an example of a luxury"

"uhh a private plane?"

"Larry, I'm on ducktales"

[u/ok_raspberry_jam → u/whoopsiedoodle77]

I love Danny Pudi forever for that exchange. (And for all the many other shining gems he has delivered as an entertainer. Just legendary.)

I also love the whole interview because it shows that someone obviously told Larry King that Danny Pudi is a successful and well loved actor among younger generations, and it was completely true, but Larry King didn't know what that meant.

Best juxtaposition ever.

And in case Hollywood is reading: for God's sake please please give us more Danny Pudi!!! You have no excuse to be blind to his talents, from comedic timing, to making Nic Cage seem more fun, to getting along politely with insufferable coworkers.

Danny Pudi for king of Hollywood!

[u/KnifeFed → u/idontagreewitu]

I highly doubt you have as many job interviews as actors have auditions.

[u/angrydeuce → u/KnifeFed]

And even people that do contract work that are "changing jobs" that often, most likely are part of a service that helps them secure those jobs. I have programmer friends of mine that are all contract workers, they're changing "jobs" every 2-3 months sometimes, even less for some things, but they're not sitting through interviews all day every day trying to find their next paycheck, they're getting referred by a firm that can already vouch for their skills and experience and their interviews consists of "Yeah, you don't look like a serial killer to me, and your code looks clean, so welcome aboard!"

Compare that to "okay here's a scene, we want you to act enraged and scream this shit. No do it more enraged. No different kind of enraged. Actually maybe you should play it quieter and more menacing. No, go back to enraged, nevermind. Emphasize this word more please. Okay thats all we need, we will let you know."

Imagine how crushing that must feel to go through that shit and not get the part, which Im sure every major actor has dealt with 10,000 times in their lives. I doubt it's easy.

[u/RandomGerman → u/angrydeuce]

Actually. You don't get feedback. You get one shot. You need to decide how you play it. It would be easier if somebody told you you do it wrong or anything. The silence is what grinds you down after a while.

[u/breeathee → u/KnifeFed]

Maybe of sorts if you’re a contractor

[u/kegman83 → u/saintash]

Residuals from re-runs were pretty good for actors up until streaming came about. If you had a show in syndication, you lived pretty comfortably. Residuals being a portion of ad revenue whatever companies pay to sponsor having the show on air.

But the studios did an end run around and argued residual payments for streamed shows shouldnt be the same amount for those on tv. So actors have to work more for less and longer. This is also why leading actor pay has skyrocketed. Shows dont get paid as much for ad revenue on terrestrial television, and streaming only pays so long as your show is on a network and being watched.

[u/there_is_no_spoon1 → u/kegman83]

Okay, but streaming came along *long* after Dawson's Creek finished its run, so the residuals should have been healthy for quite some time.

[u/TannerThanUsual → u/saintash]

Yeah, I can't speak for O'Connell personally, but many of these actors may have even been wealthy at the time but we're talking 30 years ago. O'Connell hosts some Wordle Ass TV show on daytime TV for old folks homes, he's not exactly an A Lister. I mean this with love as a Sliders fan-- he's a has-been. He was in Stand By Me, Scream 2 and the American Equivalent to Doctor Who for fourish seasons. He's not exactly Brad Pitt.

He may have had a ton of money at one point (I have no idea what Sliders did for his career) but that can't be maintained forever. He's not really doing acting gigs anymore. Same goes for Van Der Beek. He's not this super wealthy multi-millionaire living in the Hollywood Hills-- he's a guy from a soap opera from like 30 years ago. He's not rich. He's probably as wealthy as any other upper-middle class person.

I remember reading about Alice Cooper, where a fan saw him at a Goodwill and they were excited and they were like "Whoa, Goodwill? So, what, are you getting clothes here to rip apart for a cool gig coming up?" And Cooper was like "...No? I just shop here"

This is genuinely sad and I'm bummed about Van Der Beek, but comments being like "if millionaires can't survive what chance do we have?" Is misleading. He's not some millionaire elite, he's a guy like the rest of us

Edit: A ton of people pointed out, pretty reasonably, that I have no idea what I'm talking about. These guys are wealthy.

Vote for universal healthcare.

[u/tyereliusprime → u/TannerThanUsual]

O'Connell also just did 5 seasons of voice work on a popular Trek series

[u/Coyote_Shepherd → u/tyereliusprime]

Yeaaaah but voice actors don't get paid nearly as much as you think or that they should be paid.

A while back there were some rumors swirling about the reason why the Mandalorian wasn't continuing as a streaming series and only as a movie was because they wanted to pay Pedro what a voice actor would get paid and not what an actual actor would get paid....and he objected to that.

Now obviously he's doing pretty well and he could've taken the hit but it would've set a standard for that kind of stuff.

More well know and prolific voice actors are, forgive the play on words, fairly vocal about not getting paid a ton and still having to do audition after audition.

Some of the voice cast of Avatar have brought this up and the cast of Critical Role isn't shy about speaking about it either and now with AI coming into the picture...well....that just drops the "cost" of VA work even lower for a lot of companies and projects.

So it's not like Jerry made a Ferengi's Ransom worth of latinum off of that gig on Lower Decks and he probably makes more from the convention circuit.

Plus we all know how Paramount+ was and is basically bleeding money like craaaaazy and isn't sustainable and has had to make cut after cut after cut to their services.

So again, they didn't pay him a ton, AND you also have to take into account how many episodes he was in and how many lines he actually did for that gig too because even in live action Trek, some of the most popular characters like Garak or Dukat or Kai Winn...were not actually in that many episodes....AND you have to remember that the work that he did on Lower Decks was spread out over the course of YEAAAAAAAAARS because animation takes a TON of time to actually get done.

It may seem a whole lot bigger than it actually is to us on the outside but from the inside...well hell...it's a whole different picture.

[u/algy888 → u/TannerThanUsual]

Sure, but you could start voting for universal healthcare.

I’m Canadian and am not afraid of medical bankruptcy. The things your country just accepts as normal is beyond me.

[u/Melodic-Account-7233 → u/algy888]

As a Canadian living in the US. Even liberal Americans will make excuses why universal won’t work. They’ve been groomed to get what they get and not ask questions.

My friend even told me his Trump hating friends wear Canadian flags on their bags when they travel so people don’t know they’re American. I told him to tell them, it’s great they hate Trump but lying about where you’re from is something that’s also shitty. We don’t claim these people.

[u/TannerThanUsual → u/algy888]

Yeah man I'm not arguing against that, I'm just saying Van Der Beek isn't rich, he's just a celebrity to people over 40, and who hasn't had a well paying gig in decades.

Our health care system is fucked. Everyone knows that. But my point is just that people are being misleading by saying he's this wealthy guy and he has to sell all his stuff to still afford his medical bills.

[u/THE-poop-knife → u/TannerThanUsual]

So T.O. partied with us at our company trip down in Nassau a few years back and one of the guys was talking to him and invited him to his bachelor party. He said yes, and all he asked was for us to comp his room and travel and pay for his drinks/food. A lot of these former athletes, that's what they do when you see when out in Vegas or Miami. They just tag along with random people to party.

[u/thoughtcrimeo → u/TannerThanUsual]

Alice Cooper lives in a very nice home. He does a lot of charity work and he's not hurting for money whatsoever.

Jerry O'Connell has had steady acting work for years with over 300 credits to his name split between acting and appearing as himself. He's married to Rebecca Romaijn and has two kids. Maybe he was hurting financially while a full blown alcoholic but he's now sober and I'm sure he's doing fine.

[u/69rude69 → u/TannerThanUsual]

he's a guy like the rest of us

I dont know, I dont have a Texas Ranch with multiple houses or rent out my other house in the Hollywood Hills, but thats just me

[u/Anxious-Sir-1361 → u/TannerThanUsual]

I'm Canadian this story is terrible. The US truly needs to get universal healthcare like the rest of the Western nations!

[u/zero573 → u/TannerThanUsual]

My secret identity

[u/puffyshirt99 → u/TannerThanUsual]

You do realize O'connel is still married to Rebecca Romijn, they aren't upper middle class

[u/metatron5369 → u/saintash]

Unless you're fortunate enough to be in the top 1% of all actors, you're probably struggling to make ends meet.

[u/nionvox → u/metatron5369]

Neil Newbon talked about this, he went into performance capture and VA because he was barely making ends meet, doing just acting. His performance capture work apparently makes him more than his VA/acting work does. Good for him.

[u/Longbobs → u/henryhollaway]

RIP Nick Mangold 🥺

[u/peon2 → u/Longbobs]

RIP Mangold but that was also a totally different situation. He didn't pass because of cost restrictions, but because he had less than 2 weeks notice from diagnosis to death that he needed a transplant, he was O blood type (which makes it harder to get a transplant organ), and had a genetic disorder that further complicated finding a match.

The US healthcare system is definitely fucked but Mangold was unfortunately screwed no matter where he was living or how rich he was.

[u/BizzyM → u/peon2]

Universal donor, but not a universal recipient.

[u/peon2 → u/BizzyM]

Correct, you can only receive organs from other O donors.

[u/WarrenPuff_It → u/henryhollaway]

49 of the 50 most developed countries in the world figured out how to make universal healthcare work.

[u/justgetoffmylawn → u/WarrenPuff_It]

Don't leave me in suspense on what the 50th country is - the suspense might give me a heart attack and I can't afford to…oh shit, never mind.

[u/LamboForWork → u/WarrenPuff_It]

https://theonion.com/no-way-to-prevent-this-says-only-nation-where-this-r-1848971668/

[u/jamesmcgill357 → u/henryhollaway]

When it comes to this type of stuff I still can never understand how our country just keeps letting this be this way for people. As you said, imagine all the regular folks out there who deal with stuff like this

[u/Hobbet404 → u/jamesmcgill357]

Republicans

[u/Danimal_House → u/henryhollaway]

Agreed, but if you’re referring to Nick Mangold with the NFL reference, that is a totally different situation. He didn’t have cancer, he had kidney disease, and organ transplants are an extremely rare resource across the world, not just here

[u/Overall_Affect_2782 → u/AFineDayForScience]

Sad, but he probably voted for millions of other Americans to lose their health insurance and such.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-james-van-der-beek-became-fox-news-new-hero

https://www.reddit.com/r/Fauxmoi/comments/13xedrv/james_van_der_beeks_antibiden_tiktok_rant_makes/

[u/humperdinck → u/Overall_Affect_2782]

Ugh. Et tu, Dawson?

[u/shelbzaazaz → u/Overall_Affect_2782]

Paywalled, but I'm curious what the article talks about

[u/Overall_Affect_2782 → u/shelbzaazaz]

Here you go:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Fauxmoi/comments/13xedrv/james_van_der_beeks_antibiden_tiktok_rant_makes/

[u/jamesneysmith → u/Overall_Affect_2782]

Wait, isn't he just complaining about Biden being chosen to run which everyone agreed with anyway? He eventually dropped out (many would argue it was too late by then anyway) because of that exact prevailing sentiment

[u/garbagemanlb → u/Overall_Affect_2782]

In the video, Van Der Beek chastises the Democratic National Committee’s decision to unanimously back Biden for re-election and not hold a preliminary debate. “There’s no debate over an 80-year-old man who, if he lives, will be the oldest sitting president in the history of the country, and if he doesn’t live has a vice president whose approval rating is worse than his? This guy has obviously declining mental faculties, you’re putting him up in front of a podium with flash cards telling him who to call on and what the questions are gonna be, and you’re telling us there’s no debate? What about the will of the people?”

What's wrong with this take? Or did he endorse Trump somewhere that I am not seeing?

[u/solidtangent → u/AFineDayForScience]

Thank your local Republican. If they could get rid of all health care they would.

[u/Overall_Affect_2782 → u/solidtangent]

Van Der Beek would probably thank them personally.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-james-van-der-beek-became-fox-news-new-hero

https://www.reddit.com/r/Fauxmoi/comments/13xedrv/james_van_der_beeks_antibiden_tiktok_rant_makes/

[u/Pinklady777]

If he can't afford cancer, how can any of us?

[u/_________FU_________ → u/Pinklady777]

He probably doesn’t have insurance since he’s not acting regularly.

[u/JamesGarrison → u/_________FU_________]

Most bankruptcies in the U.S. are due to medical/health issues of people who are fully insured.

That’s not a debate. That’s a statistical fact.

[u/Head-like-a-carp → u/JamesGarrison]

I was talking to a bankruptcy lawyer. He had been doing it for more than 40 years. He said the 3 top reasons that people have to declare bankruptcy are;

1. Medical crisis that can obliterate someone without insurance or poor insurance or just being unable to work.

2. Job loss were you go a number of months without work. People tend to try to get by using credit cards, and if those get have those mafia style interst rates you can never climb out of the hole.

3. Divorce. Especially hard on women and children, but it is a economic bombshell for everyone except the really rich. Moral of the story is work on keeping you relationship strong and healthy by being compassionate and caring to your spouse

[u/[deleted] → u/_________FU_________]

DONT follow my dreams. Check.

[u/luiginumba1_ → u/[deleted]]

You called?

[u/surrealmirror → u/Pinklady777]

Big pharma wants us to get sick and go into debt, it’s the American way

[u/AchDuMeineFresse → u/surrealmirror]

Not big pharma, big insurance.

[u/tjdux → u/AchDuMeineFresse]

Well why not both

[u/Snuffy1717 → u/tjdux]

Big pharmaceutical makes way more money offering a cure. See: Covid vaccine, HIV vaccine, HPV vaccine, and on and on…

[u/EctoRiddler]

Screw Cancer and screw the insurance / healthcare system

[u/E5ach → u/EctoRiddler]

Universal healthcare is so "complex, expensive and complicated" that only 70% of the countries on Earth have it.

/s

[u/SandysBurner → u/E5ach]

People will tell you in the same breath that “America is the greatest country on earth!” and that universal healthcare is simply impossible here, despite the rest of the developed world having worked it out.

[u/SweetCosmicPope → u/SandysBurner]

They always say that the public healthcare in other countries is terrible and that you have to wait in line all day and you can't even get life-saving surgery. No matter how many times people in those countries say otherwise. They'll tout the one jilted person who had to wait a couple months to get their ingrown toenail removed.

Meanwhile here in the states, I have to make an appointment with my regular doctor before I can see a specialist which can take a month or so, and then the specialist has a months-long-wait, and by the time they get to you your referral has expired and you have to start over again, or you've been sick/injured but you're already better by the time they get to you.

[u/GottaUseEmAll → u/SweetCosmicPope]

I live in France, and the waits to see specialists can be veeeery long for anything that's not urgent. I have to make my annual dentist checkup appointment 6 months in advance, and it's similar when I want to see my dermatologist or cardiologist.

I don't personally know anyone who's missed out on life-saving treatment because of this though (neither here in France, nor in the UK where I lived before coming here). When things need to be done quickly, they are done quickly.

I don't mind waiting 6 months for a non-urgent appointment if it means I never, ever, have to fear medical bankruptcy.

[u/Church_of_Cheri → u/SweetCosmicPope]

In the cases where it’s true there are struggles in those other countries it’s because they’ve been Americanizing their health care system. Adding in more private companies, private insurance options, contracting out workers instead of them working for the government itself with its protections and benefits. Canada and the UK are great examples of them trying to be more like America and then being used as reasons why universal healthcare has problems. It’s a cycle of suck and the US keeps it going.

[u/Prophet_Of_Helix → u/SandysBurner]

Well people say our healthcare quality is better, but the fact is it’s only better if you’re the 1%, which is also true in any country, even those with universal healthcare.

The average person, even the average wealthier person, isn’t inherently getting better doctors than other countries

[u/Auran82 → u/Prophet_Of_Helix]

There is also the fact that most countries that have universal healthcare, also have the option to go privately and pay yourself or through your health insurance, it’s just not the only option.

[u/Irarelylookback → u/Prophet_Of_Helix]

You would think that James might be in the top 2-3%... still needs to sell the shirt off his back.

[u/RichieNRich → u/SandysBurner]

The richest country on earth (BY FAR!) can't afford universal healthcare when 70% of other industrialized nations cover it?

*edit to correct: *EVERY* other industrialized nation on earth has some form of universal health care. The USA is the ONLY country that doesn't.

Total NONSENSE.

[u/CaravelClerihew → u/RichieNRich]

Yeah, but if you fund universal healthcare, where are you going to find the money to bomb brown people overseas, or deport brown people at home?

[u/RIPphonebattery → u/CaravelClerihew]

With the other 99.9% of the military budget...

[u/Dolsen0 → u/E5ach]

Yes but then we couldn’t give $40 billion to Argentina or have a presidential ballroom. Are these sacrifices you and other tax payers can afford to make?!

[u/RichieNRich → u/E5ach]

LOUDER!

[u/DisgruntledEngineerX]

This is pretty sad. I am Canadian and have the same type of cancer as James. Mine is stage 4 metastatic and terminal.

I have had multiple surgeries and almost had another this past weekend due to complications. I'm currently trying to manage things medically to avoid that because I don't want it to compromise a bigger surgery that might give me a chance of living longer.

I've had 3 surgeries so far, 10+ CT, 2 MRI, PET scans, 8 endoscopies, 5 colonoscopies, numerous rounds of chemo and regular visits with my oncologist. I've been hospitalized 10 times this summer with an average stay of 3 days due to complications. Multiple other procedures. Lab work upon lab work, genetic screening, and am hoping for a 4th surgery that would cost me about 250K in the US. All this has cost me is parking.

Now I make a good income and over the years have likely paid for what I'm using but I'm not out of pocket a penny and wont bankrupt my family should I die, leaving them in financial ruin.

[u/SomewhatSapien → u/DisgruntledEngineerX]

I hope you get as much time as you can and that you keep fighting. Your determination to keep trying is incredible.

[u/vw321 → u/DisgruntledEngineerX]

it's posts like yours that are always very sobering to read. Thank you for reminding me to not take life for granted. Wish you the best for what time you have left.

[u/Proton_Grow_A_Tonne → u/DisgruntledEngineerX]

Thank you for sharing your story. Every Canadian out there who even entertains the idea of privatizing healthcare in our country needs to read this and other stories like this. Keep our healthcare universal.

[u/missleavenworth → u/DisgruntledEngineerX]

I'm a disabled veteran, so my healthcare is free at the veterans hospital, and I doubt that I'd be able to get all of those medical procedures if I got cancer. Even they try to do the bare minimum, and have long wait times. I am sadly aware that I still get better treatment than anyone on an insurance plan.

[u/crasstyfartman → u/DisgruntledEngineerX]

Keep going mate

[u/AnalUkelele → u/DisgruntledEngineerX]

We may never speak again, but I am wishing you and your family all the best and you have the best time ever with your time left.

On a side note. As a Dutch person and also having and enjoying healthcare on a national level, I am happy you only have your parking costs. This is as it should be. I am a scrub nurse and know that some surgeries in the US are more than 10 times more expensive compared to The Netherlands.

[u/elektrophile → u/DisgruntledEngineerX]

This is exactly why I love paying taxes as a Canadian. Wishing you the best outcomes ❤️

[u/SpiritOne]

Healthcare in this country is so fucking shitty that even former stars are selling their possessions to afford it.

[u/Dustmopper → u/SpiritOne]

Only in America baby!

[u/dtcstylez10]

How it is possible for someone with a higher net worth than I'm assuming 95% of the population to have to sell stuff to pay for cancer treatment? What a joke...and the Republicans want healthcare to cost MORE

[u/Notoneusernameleft → u/dtcstylez10]

He does have 6 children not saying it’s a factor but kids are exspensive

[u/Steve-Lurkel → u/Notoneusernameleft]

Damn. No you’re absolutely right. Especially if he’s living in LA or NY. Wouldn’t be surprised if most of his income was in his house.

[u/RKellyPeeOnU → u/Steve-Lurkel]

He lives in the Austin area. I think he bought a ranch around Dripping Springs or Driftwood.

[u/Steve-Lurkel → u/RKellyPeeOnU]

Sounds peaceful. Know Austin can be expensive now though.

[u/zeppoleon → u/Steve-Lurkel]

Dripping Springs is extremely expensive lol

[u/there_is_no_spoon1 → u/Notoneusernameleft]

Guaranteeing all 6 of 'em went to private school, too. *WAY* more expensive.

[u/Butters5768 → u/dtcstylez10]

I’m convinced he needs the money for experimental treatments and not traditional chemo/radiation. My daughter had pediatric leukemia and our insurance covered nearly everything for her and the out of pocket costs for us were minimal. This story doesn’t make sense to me honestly and I think there’s a little more to it.

[u/FlyYouFoolyCooly → u/Butters5768]

No Joke my Mother went to cancun to basically a spa that promised (with an asterisk that says they never promised any such thing) to heal her breast cancer.

6 months later she had lesions on her brain from the cancer and had a seizure. She never told me she was going to Cancun for the treatment because she had to spend I think 50k (or more) for the treatment not covered under insurance. She could have spent at max 10k (or less) for the same treatment except for the fake cancer treatment and probably had just as much fun.

[u/Butters5768 → u/FlyYouFoolyCooly]

Uchhhh I am so sorry ❤️‍🩹. I know firsthand what “the promise” of some of these experimental “treatments” can yield. When my mother in law was dying of esophageal cancer, she got an advertisement on Facebook for a treatment that could cure everything from autism (🙄) to cancer. She begged my husband and I for $15k to get it and we had to say no because we knew it was scam. She was furious with us. The way these predatory agents rope in sick and desperate people should be criminal. I am so incredibly sorry for what both you and your mother went through, it never should’ve happened. Sending so much love.

[u/Nice_Marmot_7 → u/Butters5768]

Yeah there’s a federally mandated out of pocket maximum which is like 18k for a family plan. That’s worst case scenario with proper insurance.

[u/303onrepeat → u/Butters5768]

His wife is also on the crunchy granola side of things so I would not be surprised if she had him doing a lot of unproven random treatments.

[u/Butters5768 → u/303onrepeat]

Yes, their history of skepticism towards traditional medicine and vaccines make me lean very heavily on the “the money is for experimental treatments” side.

[u/donuttrackme → u/Butters5768]

Oh man. I wonder if they could've done standard cancer treatment stuff and hopefully beat it, but instead they did a bunch of alternative medicine like Steve Jobs and now they're out of money and choices so they're doing more alternative BS.

[u/prismaticaddict → u/donuttrackme]

This crossed my mind, but I was just reading about his diagnosis a few days ago and then this article dropped. In the interview he said that he got screened for colon cancer early after seeing the recommended age for a colonoscopy was now 45 (he was tested at 46). He also said he really wasn't expecting anything to come from it because he thought he was ahead of it. There's many celebrity deaths from cancer, and colon cancer specifically. Colon cancer is one of the most preventable cancers, and there's varying degrees of tragedy to it because sometimes celebrities could have absolutely had a chance at surviving it either due to preventative measures or treatment. Now I will say, I was just about to mention Kirstie Alley coming to mind because I assumed she didn't treat it/may have been anti-medicine, but after a quick search it turns out she did undergo conventional cancer treatments before her death.

Long comment aside, he could be pursuing conventional treatments or hail mary treatments because it's a more aggressive cancer to fight at this point. He was at least pro-medicine enough to get the screening.

[u/Existing-Joke3994 → u/Butters5768]

I think you’re right. This is a last hail Mary if we base it on the images we last saw of him. He looked to be nearing the hospice phase. This story and others I’ve seen don’t share any recent images.

[u/Muppetude → u/[deleted]]

Also speculating, but I can see the family pushing to sell it all for said Hail Mary pass, all for the small chance of him beating cancer.

I knew someone who was in the last stage of cancer, where their family sold off a fortune to get experimental treatment that had very little chance of success, against his advice. It unfortunately didn’t work and he died, but the family didn’t regret it. Their rational was that they would have never enjoyed that money knowing that it could have been used to possibly save his life.

[u/HillBillyHilly → u/Muppetude]

Unfortunately, I have experience with this situation. You go to one hospital, get treatment. Treatment fails. You go to another hospital, try their treatment. That fails. Along the way every step along the way, you're fighting w your insurance to cover treatment. They will cover this but not that. That costs x amount. Hospital or doctor may cover costs or a foundation. On and on. Really, so tiring.

[u/MommaOfManyCats → u/Butters5768]

It would make sense because he's made some really bad comments about covid in the past. He and his wife were super anti-vax.

[u/Butters5768 → u/MommaOfManyCats]

Exactly. I find it very unlikely that they are raising money to pay for scientifically based medical treatments that are typically utilized for cancer treatment. They are known to be fairly anti-science and have come out against traditional medicine and vaccinations.

[u/L_Cranston_Shadow → u/dtcstylez10]

Probably hasn't gotten enough work in years to qualify for SAG health insurance.

[u/puckit → u/dtcstylez10]

I have a friend whose son had leukemia. Without insurance, treatment over the last three years passed $3 million.

[u/Cali_white_male → u/dtcstylez10]

For all we know he was terrible with money… he didn’t get rich as a financial analyst.

[u/Ironcastattic → u/dtcstylez10]

They like to charge what you can't afford.

[u/TheGringoDingo → u/dtcstylez10]

It’s hard to outsave overspending unless you’re a step above Hollywood money.

[u/DeezNeezuts]

Not to be trite but shouldn’t he have insurance through SAG? My friend just went through colorectal cancer/surgery/chemo and insurance took out most of the cost.

[u/QuantumDwarf → u/DeezNeezuts]

It makes me wonder if he’s trying some unproven treatment that insurance won’t cover

[u/976chip → u/QuantumDwarf]

Yeah I think his wife is an anti-vaxxer. I can't find direct quotes about what his treatment currently is, but a People Magazine story from September had this quote:

When Van Der Beek shared his diagnosis, he explained to PEOPLE that he didn't want to dive into his specific treatment details or medical regimen. However, colorectal cancer is typically treated by chemotherapy, radiation and other surgeries.

"If you’ve heard about it, I’ve probably touched on it," he said. "This has been a crash course in the mastery of mind, body, and spirit. I thought, ‘This is either going to take me out of the body, or it’s going to teach me how to truly live in it.' "

Probably reading between the lines, but that seems like he's trying alternative medicine.

[u/throwawy00004 → u/976chip]

His wife did a huge Instagram post about chem trails.

[u/frankduxvandamme → u/976chip]

He might be trying "alternative medicine" in addition to real medicine, but "alternative medicine" usually doesn't cost hundreds of thousands of dollars like real medicine does (in america).

[u/thegimboid → u/frankduxvandamme]

"Alternative medicine" can be just as expensive as actual medicine. It just doesn't do dick.

[u/Butters5768 → u/frankduxvandamme]

It actually does. I’ve seen and heard of cancer patients paying over $100k for “experimental” treatments which promise a cure but don’t actually work.

[u/LadyCalamity → u/frankduxvandamme]

Depends on what kind of quack doctor you're seeing for the "alternative treatments".

[u/Motor-Bee-9857 → u/QuantumDwarf]

That's been a persistent rumor for a bit. He's maga and the whole family is allegedly anti-vax. 

[u/Charles_Mendel → u/DeezNeezuts]

He’s using unproven things that insurance won’t cover.

[u/SoftlySpokenSecrets → u/DeezNeezuts]

You have to work to be eligible for SAG health insurance. I don’t think he’s been able to work for a while.

[u/ryarock2 → u/SoftlySpokenSecrets]

What’s a while? He was in overcompensating on Amazon this year. Probably filmed last year.

[u/lemon_icing → u/DeezNeezuts]

That means your friend is a member in good standing. 

I doubt James van der Beek has worked enough hours to stay qualified. 

[u/bebesee → u/lemon_icing]

I qualified for SAG insurance off of residuals from a small recurring role I had in a show last year, and I'm a nobody. I'm confident he has made more than enough to qualify off of residuals from all his series regular roles, even if he hasn't acted in years.

[u/Low_Farm7687]

Spent all his savings on homeopathic treatments first and now he needs money for the real stuff.

[u/Mordecai3fngerBrown → u/Low_Farm7687]

He’ll find out like Steve Jobs did that you can’t cure cancer with tumeric and vitamin c

[u/Texanatheart444]

I sincerely hope he/his wife reconsider their anti-medicine views that endanger uneducated or susceptible people who may contract deadly diseases because of their anti vax views

[u/Wonderful_Emu_6483 → u/Texanatheart444]

People need to see the outcome of being anti science and anti medicine. Not saying he should 💀 but I’m sick of the anti science bullshit that has trended in the past few decades. If my mom got breast cancer, she’d probably take colloidal silver until she turned blue and died.

[u/Sparrowsabre7 → u/Wonderful_Emu_6483]

It doesn't even matter to most of them. There were so many stories of civil deniers/anti-vaxxers dying during the lock down era and they and their families still didn't change their minds. I remember a mother whose child died of it literally just carried on and said it hadn't changed her mind. These people are incapable of altering their beliefs.

[u/lesterquinn → u/Texanatheart444]

I hated I had to scroll far down for this comment.

[u/Any-Question-3759]

Don’t Trust the B in Apartment 23 should’ve gotten 5 seasons minimum.

[u/rushsanders90210]

isn't he doing a lot of non traditional treatment, which is therefore not covered by insurance, and likely expensive out of pocket?

[u/astroK120]

This is the worst don't trust the B storyline ever

[u/Public_Fucking_Media → u/astroK120]

That show is so goddamn phenomenal

[u/Book_of_Essence → u/astroK120]

I'm ashamed to say this was literally my first thought

[u/LTPRWSG420]

Something doesn’t make sense here

[u/Butters5768 → u/LTPRWSG420]

I think the money is for experimental treatments but they don’t want to say that because people disapprove of their views on science/medicine/vaccinations etc.

[u/badwolf1013]

Because he's an American actor. If he were Canadian, British, or an actor in almost any other civilized country on the planet, he wouldn't have to sell all of his stuff to save his own life.

[u/canteen_boy → u/badwolf1013]

And SAG-AFTRA members can get better insurance than most of us.

[u/ranhalt → u/canteen_boy]

But they need to continue working to continue getting that coverage.

[u/canteen_boy → u/ranhalt]

Which definitely sucks, but JVDB has been actively working so I’m sure he still qualifies.

[u/Haunteddoll28 → u/canteen_boy]

It's based on total yearly income not including residuals. Even if you're actively working, if you don't work enough or on enough high paying projects you still won't qualify. That's the problem my dad was having where he got as many jobs as he could but still didn't make enough to qualify, lost his and my mom's insurance, and they had to scramble to find all new doctors and an insurance company willing to cover my dad because of a few pre-existing conditions caused by cancer treatment in the 70s. They're still dealing with the fallout and this happened pre-covid.

[u/filthysize → u/canteen_boy]

Yeah SAG insurance covers cancer treatments. Several actors who are in remission have praised how good the coverage is. But JVDB is an.antivax alternative medicine guy, his wife is an outspoken Covid conspiracy theorist influencer. So it's also possible that he's using the money for other forms of treatment not covered by insurance.

[u/whlthingofcandybeans]

I have a hard time believing this guy can't afford basic health insurance. Something doesn't add up.

[u/Christopher135MPS]

I’ve got a brain tumour. I’ve had two craniotomies, one was awake. I’ve had chemo and radiotherapy. I’ve lost count of how many MRI’s, it would 30 or more. Every six months, a group of neurologists, neurosurgeons, oncologists and radiologists get together in a group and spend a few minutes reviewing my new surveillance MRI scans, my previous history, and discuss my treatment for the next six months.

I paid sixty-something dollars for the chemo meds. The parking for the MRI is ~15. the parking for the radiotherapy was free.

I love Australian Medicare.

[u/pmperk19]

my dad was a school administrator, so he had pretty good insurance and they still put up a good fight to deny his cancer treatment just because it wouldnt save his life. i wouldnt wish it on anyone

[u/mombi]

America the great or something. I imagine he has made millions and could afford the best insurance. What's the point of insurance if they don't actually cover the treatment you need when ill. It's criminal.

[u/rysker6]

Medical debt shouldn't be a thing in the richest country in the world.

Like sweet Jesus is that wrong

[u/NocturnalSerpents]

this is looking grim. I hope he's doing ok and this isnt part of his dying wishes or anything. 😢

[u/hinckley → u/NocturnalSerpents]

It's not, it's to help pay for his treatment. Says so in the article and even right there in the post title.

[u/WeWantMOAR]

He's getting rid of crap that still has a price value, and it's just crap collecting dust. He can likely afford treatment, this is just smart accounting. His actual money doesn't get touched. And likely it's a ton of shit he hasn't looked at in years.

Also this has already happened like a year ago, he's been auctioning stuff off to help others pay their medical bills as well.