Mary-Margaret Humes Opens up About Her Private Cancer Battle

The former "Dawson's Creek" star opened up about her quiet battle with the disease ahead of the original cast's upcoming reunion for a cancer benefit in support of her former co-star James Van Der Beek.

Mary-Margaret Humes is a cancer survivor. The longtime actress, who played James Van Der Beek's onscreen mother, Gale Leery, in "Dawson's Creek," revealed that she quietly battled colorectal cancer in 2007.

"It was just about ready to break out of the wall," Humes told US Weekly in an interview published this past Tuesday, September 16. "It could've been a terrible situation, but we caught it in time."

"My doctor said we dodged a bullet, and it was all because of early detection" she continued. "Cancers are survivable, but go out and get screened — thankfully, that's part of James' journey."

Van Der Beek, who played the titular Dawson in "Dawson's Creek," announced last November that he had been privately receiving treatment after being diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer in August 2023.

Humes, who remained close with Van Der Beek after playing an onscreen mother-son duo for six years, vividly remembered the moment he shared the heartbreaking news over the phone.

"Since [then], we've had multiple conversations that are very uplifting and spiritual. He knows I've got his back 100 percent," she said. "He's going to get through this, and we're all coming together."

Humes and several other members of the "Dawson's Creek" family, including creator Kevin Williamson, Kerr Smith, Joshua Jackson, and Michelle Williams are reuniting on Broadway, where the original cast will perform a live reading of the show's 1998 pilot episode.

The September 22 event will benefit the nonprofit F Cancer and Van Der Beek, and will raise awareness about the importance of early detection.