Who Is Scott Michael Campbell? James Van Der Beek's Ex-Wife Finds Love Again After His Death

Heather McComb has married fellow actor Scott Michael Campbell in a small ceremony in Missoula, Montana, three months after the death of her former husband, Dawson's Creek star James Van Der Beek, from stage three colorectal cancer at the age of 48.

McComb and Van Der Beek married in 2003 and divorced in 2010, but both repeatedly described their split as amicable and stayed in one another's lives as friends. Van Der Beek went on to marry Kimberly Van Der Beek, with whom he had six children, and it was Kimberly who confirmed in February that the actor had 'passed peacefully' following his cancer diagnosis. McComb, who is 49, publicly mourned him at the time, calling herself 'heartbroken' at the loss.

A New Chapter

McComb revealed her marriage to Campbell on Instagram, posting a slideshow of wedding photographs and a long caption that sounded almost disbelieving in its happiness. She wrote that, 'yesterday @scottmichaelcampbell and I under the covenant of God got officially married by my beautiful sister Essence Atkins surrounded by the people we love most in the world in our most favorite city Missoula Montana.'

It is a very Heather McComb way to announce a major life event: specific, unabashedly spiritual and steeped in gratitude. 'Our hearts are full and humbled by all of the love that we were surrounded by. God is so good,' she continued, before thanking friends and relatives 'who traveled from all over the country to be with us.' The post ends with a burst of evangelical joy: 'Thank you Jesus the way maker miracle worker!'

A follow‑up message doubled down on the sense that the day had been a kind of reset after a gruelling few months. 'You all made it so special and a truly magical weekend that we will never forget,' she wrote. 'We are sitting here counting our many blessings. Thank you to everyone who made this so special for us!'

Campbell, best known for character roles across US television like Shameless (as Brad Young), For All Mankind (as Alex Rossi) and Nothing Sacred, did not issue a separate public statement in the material provided, and there is no formal comment yet from representatives for either actor about when the couple began dating.

Love After Loss

The news came after a raw and unusually generous tribute McComb wrote when James Van Der Beek died on 11 February. She described herself then as 'especially heartbroken' for Kimberly and the couple's six children — Olivia, Joshua, Annabel, Emilia, Gwendolyn and Jeremiah — and made a point of centring them rather than her own history with the actor.

'I am grateful for the special connection, friendship and love we shared,' she wrote, looking back on a relationship that began in the early 2000s and led to a Malibu wedding in July 2003, attended by Dawson's Creek co‑stars Michelle Williams and Busy Philipps, as well as Soleil Moon Frye. When the pair divorced in 2010, Van Der Beek's representative called it 'totally amicable,' underlining that they remained close friends.

In her tribute, McComb sketched a portrait of Van Der Beek that tallied with how viewers remembered him, but with an intimacy only an ex‑spouse can risk. She called him 'a beautiful soul filled with so much light, love, talent, humor, depth, sensitivity, knowledge and a deep love of God that shined through him.' Then came the more complicated part: 'He shined so bright yet was so humble and human. Always searching, always growing, always going deeper, always chasing things outside his comfort zone.'

She also singled out his life as a husband and father. McComb said she knew he 'loved being a father so much' and that he adored Kimberly 'with his everything,' referring to them as 'true soulmates' and praising Kimberly's 'grace and strength' throughout his illness. It is difficult to read those lines and see any trace of bitterness; if anything, her words pushed her own story with him into the background.

Van Der Beek himself had spoken openly in the months before his death about the shock of his diagnosis and the unexpected wave of kindness it unlocked. Appearing on the Today show in December, he admitted he had been moved by hearing from long‑time fans. 'I never expected that,' he said. 'I never just stopped to appreciate what I'd done.' He added that every time someone told him, 'I'm praying for you, and I'm wishing you the best,' he genuinely appreciated it.

When Kimberly announced his death, she wrote that 'our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning' and said he had met 'his final days with courage, faith and grace.' She asked for 'peaceful privacy' for a family suddenly without its axis.

Set against that, McComb standing in the Montana sunshine to marry Scott Michael Campbell is not a neat ending or a tidy beginning. It is simply what life tends to do in the wake of public loss: stagger onward, throwing up fresh vows and new names, while the old ones still echo.