Why James Van Der Beek made 'drastic changes' and moved family from L.A. to Texas
The Van Der Beeks are ready for a fresh start.
James Van Der Beek, his wife Kimberly and their five children arrived in Texas on Tuesday after making the decision to leave Los Angeles. In a post on Instagram, the Dawson’s Creek alum shared how pregnancy loss, the death of his mother and getting kicked off Dancing With the Stars contributed to the need for change.
“In the last ten months, we’ve had two late-term pregnancy losses, each of which put [Kimberly] in the hospital, 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,” the actor wrote. He also mentioned the “shut-down” caused from the coronavirus pandemic.
“All of that led to some drastic changes in our lives, and dreams, and priorities... and landed us here,” he added. “Overflowing with profound gratitude today.”
A post shared by James Van Der Beek (@vanderjames) on Oct 13, 2020 at 10:06am PDT
Van Der Beek has been documenting their 10-day road trip east. He also shared more insight as to why they wanted to get out of California.
“At the park in Beverly Hills near the house we just moved away from... you were not allowed to fly a KITE,” he captioned a video on Instagram of an unidentified man parachuting onto a park. “Also not allowed at any park in #BeveryHills: Riding a bicycle, climbing a tree, throwing a ball against a cinder-block wall, learning anything from an instructor, using weights, cones or any type of pad, wearing cleats (even rubber ones), and you couldn’t use the batting cage built next to the baseball field.”
The Varsity Blues actor added, “When people ask why we’re moving our kids out of L.A. these are just some of the reasons.”
Los Angeles wasn’t all bad, though. When replying to a commenter who said she couldn’t live in Beverly Hills, Van Der Beek wrote, “I mean…they do also sort through your trash and separate the recycling, and literally shave the sidewalks so that there are no ridges, which, as a Dad who pushes a stroller, I appreciated. But the rest of it? Not so much.”
Van Der Beek hinted that politics wasn’t a big factor in the family’s decision to move.
“I hope people fleeing these crazy states vote red from now on and don’t ruin the states they flee to,” one woman commented.
“I don’t vote by color,” he replied. “I believe each issue deserves its own consideration outside of the team politics in Washington that is currently preventing our government from serving us efficiently. Our mainstream news sources, and representatives in Congress act along party lines like a bunch of antagonist sheep. We have to do better than that.”
Van Der Beek said that he’s “working on” finding 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,” he shared on Instagram.
A post shared by James Van Der Beek (@vanderjames) on Oct 12, 2020 at 9:01am PDT
James and Kimberly Van Der Beek are parents to Olivia, 10, Joshua, 8, Annabel, 6, Emilia, 4, and Gwendolyn, 2.
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