Kimberly Van Der Beek stood under an oak tree in Austin, Texas during an anniversary trip and felt something shift.
Within months, she and James Van Der Beek had packed up their five children and left Beverly Hills for a 36-acre ranch in September 2020.
The Breaking Point
Van Der Beek’s life had collapsed in under a year. His mother died. Kimberly was hospitalized twice for late-term pregnancy losses. A business partner betrayed him. The pandemic locked down Hollywood.
“We spent Christmas break thinking she had a tumor,” Van Der Beek revealed about his wife’s health scares.
Fast Facts:
- Family left LA in September 2020 with 5 kids (6th born in Texas)
- Drove 1,500 miles over several weeks
- Property size: 36 acres in Austin area
- Van Der Beek died February 11, 2026 at age 48
The Journey Out
The family didn’t fly—they drove. Van Der Beek documented their weeks-long road trip through the Grand Canyon and rural New Mexico with their children and pets.
One video showed a paraglider soaring over open landscape. “When people ask why we’re moving our kids out of L.A., these are just some of the reasons,” he captioned it.
What Texas Gave Them
“The capacity to heal”—that’s what Kimberly told Austin Life magazine about Texas. Van Der Beek felt the same pull he’d experienced two decades earlier filming Varsity Blues there at 21.
Their sixth child, Jeremiah, was born in 2021 after the move.
By 2022, Van Der Beek called the relocation “really centering” for his family of eight. “The kids can watch the seasons change,” he told People.
Why It Matters
Van Der Beek chose his family’s mental health over Hollywood access, a decision that gave him nearly six years in Texas before his death from bowel cancer. His widow Kimberly announced his passing on February 11, 2026, just days after their Texas story resurfaced in interviews. The ranch became the backdrop for his children—Olivia, Joshua, Annabel, Emilia, Gwendolyn, and Jeremiah—to experience their father’s final chapter.
Jordan Blake is a rogue film critic and former VFX compositor with over 15 years of industry experience. Tired of paid reviews and “safe” opinions, Jordan left the studio system to tell the audience what Hollywood won’t. He specializes in forensic frame-by-frame analysis, exposing bad CGI, and decoding hidden lore that others miss.
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