American TV star Alfonso Ribeiro has shared a touching photo of him and his friend James Van Der Beek just days before the star’s death earlier this week.
The Dawson’s Creek star died on Wednesday, with his wife Kimberley announcing the 48-year-old had passed “peacefully” after losing his years-long battle with bowel cancer.
Tributes for the father of six have poured in online, with Ribeiro sharing several posts in tribute to Van Der Beek on Instagram.
Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today
On Friday, Ribeiro, who is the godfather to one of Van Der Beek’s daughters, posted a photo of him hugging his friend as he lay in bed just days before his death.
“This was taken by Kimberley just a few minutes before I said my last goodbye,” Riberio captioned the photo.
“My last moment was making him laugh one last time. I really miss him already.”
Ribeiro, best known for his role as Carlton Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, had earlier said the news of his friend’s death had “broken” him.
“I’m so broken right now with the passing of my friend today,” he said.
“He was my true friend, brother, and life guide. I was with him through this horrible journey to beat cancer.
“His family and friends went on this roller coaster ride. The highs when it looked like he had it beat, to the breaking lows of it coming back.
“I’ve learned so much from James. He and Kimberley changed my life. I will forever be in debt for all they’ve given me and my family.
“He will live forever in my heart. I will always be there for their children. I will always hold my role as Gwen’s Goddie daddy as one of the most important roles of my life.
“I love you James and know I have a guardian angel watching over me. Being able to say goodbye this weekend will always live with me. RIP my brother.”
It follows tributes from other actors including his Dawson’s Creek co-star Katie Holmes, who said their time together had been “sacred”.
A GoFundMe page was also launched with an initial goal of $US250k to support Van Der Beek’s family financially and has now raised over $US2m.
The fundraiser included donations from Academy Award winner, Zoe Saldana, filmmaker Steven Spielberg and Wicked director Jonathan M. Chu.
Other stars such as Derek Hough, Ricki Lake, Lydia Hearst and Kaley Cuoco, also contributed to the cause.
Van Der Beek was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer, announcing his battle with the disease in 2024 and becoming an advocate for cancer screening.
