James Van Der Beek apologized to his loved ones for not informing them of his colorectal cancer diagnosis.

The 47-year-old ‘Dawson’s Creek’ actor wrote on Instagram on Sunday that he had not planned to reveal his health diagnosis through his brief statement to People, but had to ‘change’ his plan because his diagnosis would be leaked by “a tabloid.”

“There’s no playbook for how to announce these things, but I planned to talk about it in depth with People magazine soon … to raise awareness and tell my story on my own terms,” Van Der Beek explained.

“But that plan had to change early this morning when I was told a tabloid would be reporting the news,” he added.

The father of six said he was “privately” dealing with the diagnosis and “getting treatment and dialing in my overall health with more focus than ever before” before the news broke on Sunday.

“I’m in a good place and feeling strong,” he told his followers. “It was quite an initiation, and I will tell you more when I am ready.”

“Apologies to all the people in my life that I wish I could have said to myself,” Van Der Beek continued. “None of this process has occurred on the timeline I desired… But we continue with it, taking each surprise as a signpost, pointing us toward a greater destiny than we would have discovered without divine intervention.”

He added, “Please know that my family and I truly appreciate all the love and support. More to come…“

Van Der Beek’s post also included a video montage reel of him with his children. He shares Olivia, 14, Joshua, 12, Annabel, 10, Emilia, 8, Gwendolyn, 6, and Jeremiah, 3, with wife Kimberly, 42.

The “Varsity Blues” actor announced this weekend that he is privately battling colorectal cancer, with his “incredible family” by his side.

“There is reason for optimism and I feel good,” said Van Der Beek.

Kimberly showed support after the cancer news broke, with a sweet comment on Van Der Beek’s Instagram post.

“I love you baby,” she wrote.

Kimberly also tagged her husband in a post about Northern Cardinals, calling the birds “romantic” and explaining that they “mate for a lifetime, travel together, sing before nesting, and feed each other from beak to beak during courtship.”

Van Der Beek has been married to his wife since 2010. The couple and their children currently live in Texas after moving from Los Angeles in 2020.