Why James Van Der Beek was forced to reveal his cancer diagnosis early

James Van Der Beek wanted to share his cancer diagnosis on his “own terms.”

Just hours after revealing his colon cancer diagnosis in a statement to People released on Sunday, the “Dawson's Creek” alum took to Instagram to explain why the news had to come out sooner than expected.

“There's no guidebook on how to announce these things, but I had planned to speak at length with People magazine about it sometime soon… to raise awareness and tell my story on my own terms,” ​​the actor captioned Video assembly roll.

However, the father-of-six, 47, had to switch gears when he “found out a tabloid would be coming out with the news.”

“So far, I have dealt with this privately, sought treatment and taken care of my overall health more intensively than ever before,” he continued.

“I'm fine and feeling strong. It was quite a start and I’ll tell you more when I’m ready.”

Van Der Beek then apologized to his loved ones and close friends who found out about his cancer through the People story.

“I apologize to all the people in my life that I wanted to say to myself,” the “Varsity Blues” actor added.

“On my preferred timeline, none of this process has occurred… But we move forward with it, taking each surprise as a signpost pointing us toward a greater destiny than we would have discovered without divine intervention.”

Van Der Beek then expressed his gratitude for the outpouring of messages he has received since publicly announcing his colon cancer diagnosis.

“Please know that my family and I greatly appreciate all the love and support,” he concluded. “There’s more to come…”

In his previous statement to People, Van Der Beek shared that he has “privately dealt with this diagnosis and … taken steps to resolve it.”

He also acknowledged the “support of his incredible family.”

The actor married his wife Kimberly in 2010 and they have children Olivia, Joshua, Annabel, Emilia, Gwendolyn and Jeremiah.

“There is reason for optimism and I feel good,” he added.