James Van Der Beek mourns the loss of his mother in touching tribute
"She believed in me based on nothing but her own intuition..."
James Van Der Beek announced Monday that his mother Melinda died at age 70 last week.
In a touching tribute, the 43-year-old actor shared a post featuring photos of his mother with his family over the years.
"Even though we knew this was coming - and had actually thought we were at the end nearly a year and a half ago - I’m still in shock," he wrote.
"I’m grateful she’s no longer in pain, I’m sad, I’m angry, I’m relieved... all at once and in different moments," he added. "Just trying to hold space and allow for it all."
In the post, he detailed that his mother was "a gymnastics teacher with a big heart, a creative spirit and a mantra," who kids affectionately called "Miss Melinda."
"To my kids, she was Grammy M... a magical grandma with a big laugh and a basement full of costumes and Christmas lights," he continued.
"And to me... she was my mom," he added. "She gave me life. She taught me how to tumble. Drove me to my first auditions. She believed in me based on nothing but her own intuition and she passed on a craziness that has been crucial to not just my success, but my own personal happiness."
To celebrate his mother's 70th birthday on July 1, the actor shared a throwback photo of her in a ballet costume.
"She turned 70 yesterday... but there’s a part of me that will always think of her like this: joyful, artful, and doing something that completely defies the laws of physics," he captioned the snap. "I love you Mom. Thanks for the rebel spirit. And the flexibility ❤️"
Van Der Beek stated that he is unsure of what his "healing process" will look like in the future, but said he is sure that "anytime my kids - or any of her students - want to dress up, or get on a stage, or dance, or even just think of her... they’ll have a little extra love from the other side backing them up."
The news of his mother's death comes after the actor recently revealed his wife, Kimberly Brook, suffered another miscarriage. In his post announcing the devastating news, he urged his fan base "to take better care of each other."
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