James Van Der Beek’s Daughter Emilia, 9, Remembers Late Actor in Emotional Video: 'I Know My Dad's in a Good Place'

James' young daughter marked his first posthumous birthday by opening up about how she processes her grief after his death

NEED TO KNOW

• James Van Der Beek’s 9-year-old daughter Emilia remembered her late father through an Instagram video shared almost one month after his death
• She marked the actor’s first posthumous birthday on March 8 by opening up about how she processes her grief after his death
• “I know that my dad’s in a good place. He’s not in pain anymore,” Emilia said

James Van Der Beek's daughter is expressing her grief, almost one month after her father's death.

In a video shared on mom Kimberly Van Der Beek's Instagram on Sunday, March 8 — which marked the Dawson Creek alum's first posthumous birthday — Emilia, 9, stood outside as she reflected on losing her dad, who died following a journey with stage 3 colorectal cancer at age 48 on Feb. 11.

"As you will probably know, my dad has passed away," Emilia began, before she said she was going to share "little tips" to help others "[get] through anybody you love passing."

"So today is my dad's birthday, and the number one thing for somebody's passing is to talk to them and let your emotions out," she said. "If you miss them, you can cry. You can talk to them. I talk to my dad every day. I start with a sentence, and I say, 'Hi, Dad. I miss you and I love you so much, and I'll never stop loving you.' "

"I just tell him about my day, how I'm feeling, and I told my family how I'm feeling. And I know he can hear me, but I can't hear him," added Emilia.

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Emilia further explained in the video how she processes her grief, saying, "You have to feel them in your heart, because they're in your heart. They're watching over you. They're a part of your body and in a good place."

"I know that my dad's in a good place," she added. "He's not in pain anymore. He's in heaven above the clouds with God and the Lord."

Emilia also expressed that those who have lost a loved one should "be happy they're in a good place," but still "be sad because you miss them."

"Everybody has different emotions in their body, and they express it in different ways. Many, many different ways," she continued. "And don't let anybody tell you that. Be like, 'No, you don't know how I feel."

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 Elsewhere in her minutes-long clip, Emilia expressed, "Everything is meant to happen for a reason."

"Something my dad told me was if this doesn't work out the way he wanted it to and the way we wanted it to for him living, I still have to believe in miracles. Miracles can still happen, just later on in life, and they'll keep coming," she continued.

James and Kimberly's daughter also shared some things she's done for herself to remember her dad after his death. "I stole his hat," she said. "My dad's hat smells like him, and I love it so much."

"I know that he was a good man. A lot of people loved him, and people prayed for him, and he was loved by … many, many people," Emilia added, then giving a shoutout to supporters who donated to a GoFundMe that was created by friends of Kimberly to raise money for her and her family.

James first announced his cancer diagnosis exclusively with PEOPLE in November 2024, saying he was focusing on his health and family. (The cancer was discovered after a routine colonoscopy in August 2023.)

Last month, Kimberly announced the news of James' death through an Instagram post. Sharing a professional photo of the actor, she wrote, "Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning. He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace."

In her Instagram post of Emilia's remembrance video, Kimberly wrote in her caption that her daughter "asked me if she could make a video to post today, walked outside and came back with this."

Kimberly also honored her late husband with a series of sentimental Instagram Stories posts. "Would be your 49th birthday today. And I'm missing you tremendously," the producer wrote on top of one photograph of the pair, before she shared various other photographs and videos of James, including many with their six children.

Along with Emilia, James and Kimberly are also parents to daughters Olivia, Annabel and Gwendolyn, plus sons Joshua and Jeremiah.

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