Heather McComb marries Scott Michael Campbell with a little goodwill from her past, which is not always how ex-spouse stories tend to go. One week after the Party of Five alum wed Campbell, McComb said her former husband James Van Der Beek and his wife, Kimberly Van Der Beek, had offered warm support for the marriage.
McComb, 49, told Us Weekly that her last conversation with James and Kimberly before the wedding stayed with her because of how generous it felt.
"I will share one thing [about our last encounter] because I think it's beautiful," McComb said. "James and Kimberly both knew that Scott and I were getting married and they both were so full of love and support and excitement."
What did James Van Der Beek say about Heather McComb’s marriage?
McComb was married to the Dawson’s Creek actor from 2003 to 2009. Van Der Beek later married Kimberly in 2010, and the couple share six children.
For McComb, having the Van Der Beeks’ blessing as she began a new chapter with Campbell clearly meant more than a polite congratulations text. She described it as something she would carry with her.
"Just to have his blessing on this marriage was something that I will always hold on my heart," she told the outlet. "I think that when I look back, that is really what I hold in my heart—is just how he loved was a beautiful thing."
A quick clarification, because accuracy matters: James Van Der Beek has not died. Reports or headlines suggesting otherwise are incorrect. The meaningful part of McComb’s account is the support she says she received from him and Kimberly before her wedding.
How did Heather McComb and Scott Michael Campbell celebrate?
McComb and Campbell, known for Shameless, married in an intimate ceremony in Missoula, Montana, after more than three years together. McComb’s sister officiated, and the couple were joined by close family and friends.
On Instagram last month, McComb thanked the people who traveled to be there for the wedding weekend.
"Our hearts are full and humbled by all of the love that we were surrounded by," she wrote. "Thank you to all of our family and friends who traveled from all over the country to be with us. You all made it so special and a truly magical weekend that we will never forget."
For a smaller ceremony, McComb’s details were less about spectacle and more about presence, what she described as the feeling of loved ones who were deeply missed.
Why did the day feel spiritually meaningful to McComb?
McComb said the wedding felt spiritually meaningful to both her and Campbell. She felt that loved ones who could not attend were still close in some way.
"I know we had a lot of people up in heaven shining on us that day," she shared. "It was magical in the sense that we saw a double rainbow, two ladybugs and two white doves."
She added that the couple made a point of honoring those absent from the celebration.
"We honor everybody who wasn't there that day," McComb said. "I know that James would want me to celebrate our love, just like he celebrated the love that he had for Kimberly, which was so beautiful."
It is a strikingly calm version of a Hollywood relationship story: former spouses, new partners, no public feud, and everyone behaving like adults. Rare enough, apparently, to qualify as news.
