James Van Der Beek just opened up about how tough the past couple of years have been and why he moved his family to Texas as a result. While the public knew that the Van Der Beeks had gone through a lot, we didn't know just how much until now.
James' wife, Kimberly, experienced two pregnancy losses. One was incredibly public because they actually had an ultrasound on TV. Just a week later, it was revealed that Kimberly had lost the baby.
James and Kimberly have been incredibly open about their pregnancies and their pregnancy losses, either way. To them, they see it as a powerful way to break the stigma regarding miscarriages and loss. While it used to be a very hush-hush ordeal, these days people are opening up more about their own experiences. When people in the public eye do so, it helps others to feel less alone in their struggles.
But while those losses have been a huge part of the family's struggles in recent years, James says there has been a lot more going on, as well. All of it combined prompted the Van Der Beeks to move out of LA and settle into a new home altogether.
James Van Der Beek and his whole brood just moved to Texas. He announced last month that they were headed out of LA. But now James is filling his fans in on why. Turns out, it's been a really tough couple of years.
The 43-year-old dad got real about just how hard it's all been. Apparently, it's been so rough that it led to him feeling like he had to relocate. He moved his whole family, including wife Kimberly and their five children — Gwendolyn, 2; Emilia, 4; Annabel Leah, 6; Joshua, 8; and Olivia, 9½ — to Texas. He shared the news in an Instagram post on Tuesday.
James just shared some photos of his kids exploring their new Texas home. "We've landed," he wrote. He also shared more details than we had heard yet about what led to the decision. "In the last ten months, we've had two late-term pregnancy losses, each of which put @vanderkimberly in the hospital," the actor wrote.
He continued, "we spent Christmas break thinking she had a tumor (the doctor was wrong, thank god), a business colleague I hired hijacked the project and stabbed me in the back, I was prematurely booted off a reality dancing show I was favored to win in front of the whole world, and my mom died."
Whoa. That's just such an immense amount for one family to go through in a short time. It makes sense that they needed a change.
Throughout it all, it seems like James has been able to hold onto his joy. He's very drawn to being a dad and seems very close with his five kids. He ended his post on a positive note, writing, "all of that led to some drastic changes in our lives, and dreams, and priorities… and landed us here. Overflowing with profound gratitude today."
Still, big changes are tough. They are even tougher when you are trekking around the country with five children and a couple of dogs. The Van Der Beeks made it happen, though. But settling in certainly has him feeling relieved, it seems. We can imagine why.
Just last month, he shared a photo of their empty house in LA. "Sometimes a fuller life begins with an empty house," he wrote. "Leaving Los Angeles incredibly grateful for all the friends and memories we've made here. Onto the next big adventure! ❤️ ."
It's likely pretty tough to leave somewhere they've been for so long. After all, they grew their family in California. And, as an actor, James has had good reason to be in LA. But it looks like he and his whole family are ready to plant themselves somewhere entirely different, and that's exactly what they did.
James shared updates along their journey, including one video of a paraglider while they were in New Mexico. "Not saying I need to fly a parachute with a fan strapped to my back like this guy… but when people ask why we're moving our kids out of L.A. these are just some of the reasons." Perhaps he meant there's freedom in starting over.
In another post, he wrote about that kind of freedom. "When I was a kid, I used to think freedom would be finally having the things I'd dreamed of having. It wasn't. Then I thought freedom would be having no attachment to anything. It wasn't. Now, in the midst of a move to a new state 1500 miles from any place I've ever lived… I'm starting to feel like freedom is daring to love with all of your heart… and having the courage to put what you love first. I'm working on it."
