celebrity

James Van Der Beek cautioned "squeamish" fans not to look at photos of his new baby.

We all got to know  James Van Der Beek as the angst-ridden teen lead in Dawson’s Creek, but this week, he officially became a dad of five.

On Sunday, Van Der Beek (who has starred in a lot of other projects by the way, but we’ll never forget Dawson’s Creek) announced that he and his wife Kimberly had welcomed a baby daughter named Gwendolyn.

“Thrilled to announce we welcomed a brand new baby girl into the world Friday morning, just in time for #FathersDay,” the 41-year-old actor posted on Instagram. Gwendolyn joins older siblings Olivia, 7, Joshua, 6, Annabel Leah, 4, and Emilia, 2.

From the photo we can see that Van Der Beek was very involved in the process, as he sits shirtless, nestling his newborn daughter in his arms…while she is potentially still attached to the placenta that sits at their feet in a stainless steel bowl.

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Van Der Beek cautioned his followers that they may find the image  of the afterbirth confronting, because of the mess and the “placenta…in a mixing bowl.”

Despite the disclaimer, the photo received almost universal support.

“Congratulations. That is the most beautiful picture I’ve seen in a long time,” one fan wrote.

“Can I tell you I love everything about this post. I love the realNess and rawness of it all. Thank you for sharing your in depth detailed life with us. You don’t have to and yet you choose to even the real stuff. I appreciate that more than anything. I wish media’s were used more like this. To show how raw and beautiful a mess can actually be. Life as we know just happened in that space and it was captured. It truly us beautiful,” said another.

In an earlier post announcing the birth, Van Der Beek commented on the White House’s “zero-tolerance” immigration policy, that has seen thousands of minors separated from the adults caring for them, at U.S. borders. That Instagram was captioned:

“These last few days, as I’ve enjoyed the privilege of making smoothies I know my older kids will like, making my wife red raspberry leaf tea to ease her uterine contractions, spending “boy time” with my son and getting my two year-old down for a nap in the way only I know how… I’ve been heart sick about something.

“As I write this, kids are being ripped from the arms of their parents. By our government. For the kid’s benefit? No – the opposite – as a purposeful display of cruelty to deter would-be illegal border crossers AND legal asylum seekers (it’s happening to both). And it wouldn’t be honest to wax poetic about my new-baby bliss without speaking up against this atrocity.”

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Thrilled to announce we welcomed a brand new baby girl into the world Friday morning, just in time for #FathersDay ???? These last few days, as I’ve enjoyed the privilege of making smoothies I know my older kids will like, making my wife red raspberry leaf tea to ease her uterine contractions, spending “boy time” with my son and getting my two year-old down for a nap in the way only I know how… I’ve been heart sick about something. As I write this, kids are being ripped from the arms of their parents. By our government. For the kid’s benefit? No – the opposite – as a purposeful display of cruelty to deter would-be illegal border crossers AND legal asylum seekers (it’s happening to both). And it wouldn’t be honest to wax poetic about my new-baby bliss without speaking up against this atrocity. If we allow our government to de-humanize fathers, and mothers, and children in the name of defending our borders… we’ve lost a huge part what makes those borders worth defending. And even if you don’t believe in karma, or in extending basic human decency to people who didn’t win the geographic birth lottery… even if you’re hard-liner enough to say, “Break the law, suffer the consequences,” shouldn’t the punishment at least fit the crime? And if you’re still cold enough to say, “Well, it’s effective,” consider this: This heinous practice was put into place by our own attorney general (who justified it with a cherry-picked Bible verse), and our president blamed rivals before tweeting his list of legislative demands to be met before he stops it. Regardless of how you feel about immigration, or a wall, or this president… if we say we’re okay with our government using human rights violations as a deterrent or as a bargaining chip… what happens when we find ourselves on the wrong side of the agenda? Either in this administration or the next? This should not be a political issue – it’s a human one. A crime against humanity is a crime against us all. More info in link in my bio. Oh, and @vanderkimberly – you’re a f*cking earth goddess rock star and I’m as in awe of you as I am in love with you. And our new baby’s name is Gwendolyn ❤️ #HappyFathersDay everybody.

A post shared by James Van Der Beek (@vanderjames) on

Van Der Beek passionately added, “Regardless of how you feel about immigration, or a wall, or this president… if we say we’re okay with our government using human rights violations as a deterrent or as a bargaining chip… what happens when we find ourselves on the wrong side of the agenda? Either in this administration or the next? This should not be a political issue – it’s a human one. A crime against humanity is a crime against us all.”

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The father of five concluded with a message to his wife of seven years.

“Oh, and @vanderkimberly – you’re a f–king earth goddess rock star and I’m as in awe of you as I am in love with you.”

 

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