James Van Der Beek Says Cancer Reignited His Passion for Acting and He's 'More in Love Than Ever' With Wife Kimberly (Exclusive)

James Van Der Beek Says Cancer Reignited His Passion for Acting and He's 'More in Love Than Ever' With Wife Kimberly (Exclusive)

James Van Der Beek Says Cancer Reignited His Passion for Acting and He's 'More in Love Than Ever' With Wife Kimberly (Exclusive)originally appeared onParade. James Van Der Beekhas entered a new act in his life—one ushered in by his cancer diagnosis. When theDawson's Creekstar moved to Texas during the pandemic and found himself surrounded by nature and with his children, he thought, "Man, this is life. What do I need acting for?" "I really let go of any attachments that I had to what it means to be an actor, or what my own version of success is or felt like or needs to be. And I just really felt like, 'Oh, I could walk away from this,'" Van Der Beek, 48, recalled in an exclusive interview withParade. "And then when I got cancer and I looked around at the world and where my place is in it and wanting to stay in it, I realized I love to tell stories. I really am so grateful for this opportunity to write and to act." "I joked that I'm the only guy who got cancer and said, 'You know what I've realized is I need to work more,'" he added. Van Der Beek, whowas diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer in 2023, feels he's gained not just a newfound appreciation for life. "And so I'm really looking forward to this next act," he said. As for what this new act might look like? "I think it's going to be a combination of things that I write and create and things that I'm just lucky enough to step into and join," Van Der Beek explained. "I would imagine there's got to be some comedy in there and hopefully some singing and dancing, too." Related:See the Cast of 'Dawson's Creek' Then and Now The Masked Singeralum admittedly "really, really, really" wants to do a musical one day, but for now has been busy with projects like theSidelinedsequel andElle. Months after revealing his cancer diagnosis, Van Der Beekjoined the cast of theLegally Blondeprequel series,Elle. "It was such a gift to get to do such a cool, high-profile project. That [Elle] andOvercompensating, which I got to do," Van Der Beek said. "Both were relatively small time commitments, which allowed me to stay with my family, but then I also get to go to set with these genius people and make something really fun." View this post on Instagram A post shared by James Van Der Beek (@vanderjames) The actor's wifeKimberly Van Der Beekand their six kids—Olivia,Joshua,Annabel,Emilia,GwendolynandJeremiah—"are the center" of his life. Aug. 1, 2025 marked the couple's 15th wedding anniversary. ForThe Rules of Attractionactor, those 15 years have taught him how important it is to evolve together. "I think there was maybe a part of me before that was like, 'Okay, I'm gonna go grow or build or deal with this thing here, and then come back and I'll be perfect. Look at this.' And what I realized is just how marriage, it's a team sport," Van Der Beek said with a laugh. "If your spouse is attending a class or reading a book, or they've read some self-help book or whatever, and they're putting everything through that lens. Read that book. Read that book. Know what they're doing and participate in it and share your own process as well. Because there's who you were before you got married, there's who you are when you get married, and then there's who you're meant to become, and this other person is there to help you discover that." When it comes to their long-lasting marriage, the Hollywood star takes it day-by-day and tries to show up the best he possibly can, but remarked that "probably the secret" is "I married the right person, really." By his own admission, Van Der Beek's cancer diagnosis has strengthened his and Kimberly's relationship. "I'm more in love than ever, and more in awe of her than ever, and how she's able to handle everything that I had to drop when I got diagnosed, and everything that she does, and just what it is to be that loved by somebody," Van Der Beek gushed. "It's really been an absolute gift." View this post on Instagram A post shared by James Van Der Beek (@vanderjames) The actor's children have also been a source of strength and motivation amid his cancer journey—and their hugs are "the most healing thing" Van Der Beek "could possibly get." The dad of six said, "I really feel like that's the best medicine, to be around all that love and just to see their support and to show them. You can talk about resilience. And I try really, really as best I can to teach resilience in my kids. But I think the best thing I could do is show them resilience." Related:James Van Der Beek Opens Up About How His Kids Are Handling His Cancer Diagnosis Since being diagnosed with cancer, Van Der Beek has come to discover the depth of his own resilience and strength. "In the beginning, one of the things I kept saying was, 'Man, I know this sounds stupid, but this is harder than I thought it would be,' and having been through this crazy journey, what I'm realizing is just how strong I am," he shared. Van Der Beek's also recognized the importance of asking for help, "no matter how strong you are." He said, "I don't know how anybody does this alone. And I was blessed with this amazing group of friends and family who had all been wanting to show up for me, but me trying to be Superman wouldn't let them. And so I was robbing them of a chance to show me how much they cared. That's really been a game changer, is just 'Oh I can be the guy who also asks for help when he needs it.'" To help raise awareness about colorectal cancer screenings, Van Der Beek has teamed up withGuardant Health. "One of the things I really want to get across to people is that you don't need symptoms to start getting screened. Put it on your radar, talk to your doctor," he advised. "At the time that I got diagnosed, I was in amazing cardiovascular shape. I was doing sauna, cold plunge, working out, all the things and I had full-blown stage three cancer and didn't know it." While colorectal cancer is the "second deadliest cancer," Van Der Beek pointed out that it is "also the most treatable when you catch it early." TheVarsity Bluesstar stressed, "That's why it's so crucial, and that's why I'm so happy to team up withShield by Guardantto get the word out there. What they offer is a really convenient, pleasant screening option because it's just a simple blood draw that you could do at your next doctor's appointment." Van der Beek himself had a "couple of symptoms" that prompted him to go in for his screening, but "nothing like [a] big flashing red flag." After privately navigating his diagnosis for a period of time, theSidelined: The QB and Meactorpublicly opened up about his healthin November of 2024. "Fortunately, I have an amazing inner circle, and my community, the Greater Austin medical community was amazing, and nobody leaked it for a year. And so I was given the time and the grace to handle it privately for quite some time," he said. Van Der Beek's diagnosis has continued to be a process with many chapters. "I think at first there was shock, and then there was 'All right, how am I going to make this the best thing that ever happened to me?' And then you ride that enthusiasm for a little while, and then reality kicks in and then you get tired and you get scared, and then you really start to look at your own mortality," he shared. "And then eventually, where I came to was recognizing that 'Oh wow. Even with cancer and not able to do the things that I want to do, like be the father I want to be, be the husband I want to be, even if I'm just sick in bed, I'm still worthy of love' and that's a really important thing to know and an important thing to share with everybody because we all are, and I think that's one thing that I had missed in my life in just how busy and how dedicated and how ambitious I was because I had such an oddly transactional relationship with self-love." Van Der Beek noted, "I look at it and say, 'Well, maybe that's the whole reason I'm going through this is to learn that lesson of, you know, the thing of like put your own oxygen mask on before assisting others.' You gotta love yourself before you can help anybody else." Next,James Van Der Beek Is One Busy Dad: Inside the 'Dawson's Creek' Actor's Life With Six Kids James Van Der Beek Says Cancer Reignited His Passion for Acting and He's 'More in Love Than Ever' With Wife Kimberly (Exclusive)first appeared on Parade on Aug 1, 2025 This story was originally reported byParadeon Aug 1, 2025, where it first appeared.

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August 02, 2025

James Van Der Beek Says Cancer Reignited His Passion for Acting and He's 'More in Love Than Ever' With Wife Kimberly (Exclusive)

James Van Der Beek Says Cancer Reignited His Passion for Acting and He's 'More in Love Than Ever' With Wife Kimberly (Exclusive)...

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“Naked Gun” Director Limited Reboot to Only 1 O.J. Simpson Joke to Be 'Respectful': 'The Elephant in the Room'

"Naked Gun" Director Limited Reboot to Only 1 O.J. Simpson Joke to Be 'Respectful': 'The Elephant in the Room'

Paramount Pictures (2) Akiva Schaffer is directing the latest iteration of the popular police movie,The Naked Gun The comedy creator was tasked with following the franchise's storied legacy, while still acknowledging the fresh cast To do so, Schaffer said the new film needed to acknowledge O.J. Simpson's previous role in the original films The Naked Gunis making a comedic reference to all of its previous stars, including controversial athleteO.J. Simpson DirectorAkiva Schafferconfessed toThe Hollywood Reporterthat when people learned he was taking on the newest iteration of the spoof franchise, he was immediately asked about what he would do about Simpson'sNaked Guncharacter, Detective Nordberg. The late athlete starred in the 1988 original, plus the sequels in 1991 and 1994. "When I first told friends, 'Hey, I'm actually about to write aNaked Gun,' they'd go, 'What are you going to do about O.J?' So, right away, I was like, 'Oh, right. That's the elephant in the room that has to be addressed,' " he recalled for the outlet. But he confessed they only needed one joke to address audience questions. Paramount Pictures Schaffer, 47, admitted that after writing the initial joke acknowledging Simpson's character, he and the writers "never wrote another O.J. joke." The sole Simpson joke appears in the film's trailer, as starsLiam NeesonFrank Drebin Jr. andPaul Walter Hauserpay tribute to framed photos of their late parents in a police Hall of Legends. It then transitions to a framed portrait of Nordberg (Simpson), before cutting to his son Nordberg Jr. (Moses Jones) breaking the fourth wall and shaking his head in appallment. "We just went, 'Yep, that takes care of that,' " Schaffer said. "I didn't know that the joke would kill as hard as it did at our first test screening. If I had known that, then maybe I would've written other jokes," he continued. "But you want to be respectful of everything that revolves around him, so it's not something I really took glee in. We just had to acknowledge it in a way we thought was not dancing on anybody's misfortunes," he said, seemingly referencingSimpson's infamous 1995 murder trialfor the homicides of his ex-wife,Nicole Brown Simpsonand her friend,Ron Goldman. Unique Nicole/Getty for Paramount Pictures He also explained that he and the team "didn't get pushback or anything." "On the edgy jokes, people would go, 'Ooh, I don't know.' And I'd be like, 'Don't worry. The movie is going to be 85 minutes. A fourth of the script is getting cut. Anything that doesn't work is going to be cut,' " he explained. "So that's the way I made everyone relax all the time." (The film was intended to be 85 minutes long to mirror the original two films' runtimes, but is ultimately 83 minutes.) The movie, produced bySeth MacFarlane, is based on the Jim Abrahams and David Zucker and Jerry Zucker franchiseThe Naked Gun,which originally starred Leslie Nielsen as self-serious detective Frank Drebin, who managed to rise through the ranks of the police squad. In the new film, Neeson stars as Lt. Frank Drebin Jr., son of Nielsen's character, as he follows in his father's footsteps. The cast includes Hauser,Pamela Anderson, CCH Pounder, Kevin Durand, Cody Rhodes, Liza Koshy, Eddie Yu and Danny Huston. Frank Masi/Paramount Pictures Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The Naked Gunpremiered in theaters on Friday, Aug. 1. Read the original article onPeople

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August 02, 2025

“Naked Gun” Director Limited Reboot to Only 1 O.J. Simpson Joke to Be 'Respectful': 'The Elephant in the Room'

"Naked Gun" Director Limited Reboot to Only 1 O.J. Simpson Joke to Be 'Respectful': 'The Elephant in the Room' Par...

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Key takeaways from 3-day hearing on deadly D.C. midair collision

Key takeaways from 3-day hearing on deadly D.C. midair collision

Over the course of three days of investigative hearings, the National Transportation and Safety Board sought to gather more information about the factors that lead to thedeadly midair collisionover Washington, D.C., in January between an Army helicopter and a passenger plane. The NTSB heard testimony from air traffic controllers, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Army, and the families of several of the victims were in attendance. At one point on the first day of the hearings, NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said of the circumstances leading up to the crash, "Every sign was there that there was a safety risk." Addressing the families, she said the hearings would be "a critical part of our ongoing investigation." On Jan. 29, aBlack Hawk helicopterstruck an American Airlines flight from Wichita, Kansas, as it was coming in for a landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport, killing all67 peopleaboard both aircraft. The NTSB will continue its fact finding and will compile a final report with determinations about the probable cause, likely within the next year. Here are the top takeaways from the hearings: Helicopter's altitude measurements showed significant discrepancies The barometric altimeter the Black Hawk crew members were relying on may have given them incorrect information, according to NTSB investigators, because the crew was calling out altitudes that were lower than the actual height at which the helicopter was flying. The helicopter and commercial airliner collided approximately 300 feet above the Potomac River, and the maximum altitude for helicopters at that part of the route near D.C.'s Reagan Airport is 200 feet. The NTSB, as part of its investigation, tested three helicopters that are in the same battalion as the one that crashed and found that the barometric altimeter for all three was off by 80 to 130 feet. Army representatives on Wednesday told investigators that discrepancy is within the accepted variability because pilots are trained to maintain their altitude at plus or minus 100 feet. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy told CBS News' senior transportation correspondent Kris Van Cleave the NTSB calculated the margin of error on Route Four in that area of the Potomac to be 75 feet. The Army said it is conducting additional reviews to determine how to proceed, frustrating investigators who asked why it would not make changes to the equipment, based on the findings of the NTSB tests. In 2022, an FAA working group considered moving helicopter traffic away from the airport, but ultimately did not. Airplane pilots knew they were going to be hit Transcripts from the airplane's cockpit voice recorder show the pilots received an automated verbal warning about traffic in the vicinity approximately 20 seconds before the collision. Less than two seconds before impact, the pilots shouted in alarm. Flight data indicates the plane's pilots attempted to climb to avoid the helicopter just before impact. The transcripts also reveal the pilots of the American Airlines flight questioned the move to Runway 33. The plane was originally supposed to land on Runway 1 but was redirected by air traffic controllers to Runway 33. As it was trying to land on that runway, the helicopter and plane collided. Black Hawk pilots missed key command from air traffic controller The pilots of the Black Hawk missed a key word when communicating with the air traffic control tower, according to a transcript released during the hearings of the conversation between the helicopter crew and the control tower. Fifteen seconds before the collision, DCA Tower asked the helicopter if it had the regional jet in sight. Four seconds later, the DCA Tower instructed the helicopter to pass behind the plane. The Black Hawk's cockpit voice recorder indicated that the phrase "pass behind" was rendered inaudible because a helicopter crew member pressed the microphone key. FAA acknowledged air traffic controller did not warn airliner that the helicopter might cross its path Although it was already known — based on control tower audio from that night — that the controller did not warn the American Airlines plane that the Black Hawk might cross its path, the FAA only openly acknowledged this for the first time during this week's hearings. In a key moment from the second day, Homendy asked FAA Air Traffic Oversight Service executive director Nick Fuller if any traffic advisories or alerts were issued to the plane. He responded, "No safety alerts." Homendy then asked, "Should the local controller have let the [plane] crew know that there was a helicopter there?" "Yes," Fuller responded. Medivac pilot said presence of military helicopters in National Airport airspace makes him "uncomfortable" Rick Dressler, of Metro Aviation – which operates medical helicopters — was asked if there are units flying in the National Airport airspace that make him uncomfortable. "I don't like saying that first heli of [U.S. Air Force] from Andrews (Air Base) and I don't like saying that 12th Aviation Battalion gives us all pause in the community…," Dressler said, but "we are all very uncomfortable when those two units are operating." During the hearing, the Army admitted helicopters regularly flew below flights that land at Reagan National Airport. Arkansas officials reveal new details about Devil's Den murders of husband and wife The A.I. Divide | America Unfiltered Defense attorneys refuse new cases in Massachusetts, citing unfair pay

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August 02, 2025

Key takeaways from 3-day hearing on deadly D.C. midair collision

Key takeaways from 3-day hearing on deadly D.C. midair collision Over the course of three days of investigative hearings, the National Trans...

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California man arrested for allegedly sending money to ISIS

California man arrested for allegedly sending money to ISIS

The FBI arrested on Friday a man in Long Beach, California, for allegedly sending money to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, a designated foreign terrorist organization,according to the Department of Justice. Mark Lorenzo Villanueva, 28, a permanent US resident originally from the Philippines, faces up to 20 years in federal prison for attempting to provide material support to ISIS, the Justice Department said in a statement. Investigators said Villanueva was in communication with two individuals who identified themselves as ISIS fighters via social media earlier this year. In those messages, Villanueva allegedly expressed his desire to support ISIS and offered to send money to aid the group's activities. "It's an honor to fight and die for our faith. It's the best way to go to heaven." Villanueva allegedly wrote to the ISIS fighters. "Someday soon, I'll be joining." Over a five-month period, Villanueva sent 12 payments totaling $1,615 to two intermediaries who accessed the money overseas, according to Western Union records cited by the DOJ. During his arrest, the FBI recovered what appeared to be a bomb from his bedroom, according to photos posted on the FBI's Facebook and X accounts. "Mr. Villanueva is alleged to have financially supported and pledged his allegiance to a terror group that targets the United States and our interests around the world," said Patrick Grandy, the Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office. Earlier this year, a 19-year-old former member of the Michigan Army National Guard was arrested after he allegedly attempted to carry out a plan toconduct a mass shootingat a US military base in Michigan on behalf of ISIS. Ammar Abdulmajid-Mohamed Said was arrested on the scheduled day of the attack, after he visited an area near the military base and launched a drone in support of the attack plan, according to the Justice Department. He allegedly planned to attack the Army's Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command, which is located in a Detroit suburb and manages the Army's supply chain for tanks. Prosecutors say he offered to help undercover law enforcement officers carry out the attack by training them to use firearms and make Molotov cocktails and by providing armor-piercing ammunitions and magazines for the attack. Said was charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and with distributing information related to a destructive device. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

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August 02, 2025

California man arrested for allegedly sending money to ISIS

California man arrested for allegedly sending money to ISIS The FBI arrested on Friday a man in Long Beach, California, for allegedly sendin...

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Bette Davis' 3 Children: All About the Late Actress' Daughters and Son

Bette Davis' 3 Children: All About the Late Actress' Daughters and Son

Silver Screen Collection/Hulton Archive/Getty ; Bettmann/Getty Oscar winner Bette Davis was a mother to three children Davis welcomed Barbara "B.D." in 1947, followed by Margot and Michael in 1951 B.D. wrote a memoir about Davis, which led to the mother and daughter becoming estranged Hollywood legendBette Daviswas a mother of three children: daughters Barbara "B.D." and Margot, and son Michael. Davis welcomed daughter Barbara "B.D." in 1947 with husband William Grant Sherry. Following their divorce in 1950, Davis married Gary Merrill, and the couple welcomed Margot and Michael via adoption the following year. Davis consciously waited to have kids so that she could devote more time to them. "I did not have my first child until I was 39," she toldThe New York Timesin April 1981. "My career was made. I was only making one or two films a year. They were years to be with my children and to enjoy them." Davis primarily raised her children in New England, tellingThe New York Timesthat her family primarily resided "on the coast of Maine and in Connecticut." However, Davis' relationships with her daughters and son made headlines over the years. In 1985 and 1987,B.D. wrote sensational memoirsthat painted Davis in an unflattering light. It led to B.D.'s estrangement from Davis; ultimately, she was not included in her mother's will. Here's everything to know about Bette Davis' children: Barbara "B.D." Hyman, Margot Merrill and Michael Merrill. PA Images via Getty (2) Davis and Sherry welcomed Barbara "B.D." on May 1, 1947. Following Davis and Merrill's wedding in 1950, B.D. was adopted by Merrill, she wrote in her memoirMy Mother's Keeper. Over the years, B.D. made several appearances in her mother's films. In 1951, she played Davis' daughter inPayment on Demand; in 1962, B.D. had a small cameo inWhat Ever Happened To Baby Jane?as the neighbor's daughter. In 1963, B.D. met her future husband, Jeremy Hyman, at theCannes Film Festivalwhen she was 15 years old. They married the following year, when she was 16 and he was 29. Though Davis gave her blessing, she later blamed the marriage for her estrangement from her daughter. Calling her attendance at the festival "one of the great mistakes of my life," Davis once said, perVanity Fair, "I believe it was this union that, years later, produced B.D.'s book about me." B.D. went on to have two kids with Hyman, sons Ashley and Justin. In 1981, Davis and Ashley appeared in the TV movieFamily Reuniontogether. "[Ashley] had never seen a motion picture set," Davis toldThe New York Timesin April 1981."It's the first time he's ever been away from his parents. Talent skips a generation, I think. B.D. wanted no part of acting. Neither did Margot or Michael, my adopted children." In 1985, B.D. published the bookMy Mother's Keeper, which alleged that Davis was a heavy drinker and an emotional manipulator. Speaking to PEOPLE that year, B.D. said that she wrote the book to try to help her mother. She elaborated to theLos Angeles Timesthat she hoped it would foster better communication between them. "First she'll have to work through her rage at what I've done," she said. "Then, she'll come and see me. It may be in anger, but it will be the start of true communication between us. As I say at the end of my book, the door will always be open to her ... it will take time, but it will happen." However, Davis and B.D. didn't make up. In 1987, Davis said they could "hardly have a close relationship like that after a book like that is written," perVanity Fair. "I lost her ... realizing she had written this book about me was as catastrophic as the stroke," she continued. That same year, Davis published a follow-up memoir to her previous works,This 'N That, which concluded with an open letter to her daughter. "You constantly inform people that you wrote this book to help me understand you and your way of life better," Davis wrote, perVanity Fair. "Your goal was not reached. I am now utterly confused as to who you are or what your way of life is. The sum total of your having written this book is a glaring lack of loyalty and thanks for the very privileged life I feel you have been given." When Davis died two years later in 1989, B.D. was not included in Davis' will, per theLos Angeles Times. After writing two books about Davis, B.D. went on to self-publish religious texts. Today, she's a minister in Charlottesville, Va., who preaches primarily through her website and YouTube videos. Bette Davis with her daughter Margot Merrill on October 14, 1964 in Bel Air, California ; Bette Davis and daughter Margot Merrill on October 22, 1964 in their home in Bel Air, California Davis and Merrill welcomed Margot Merrill via adoption in 1951. When she was 3 years old, Margot was diagnosed with brain damage, which doctors believed happened at birth. Subsequently, Margot spent most of her childhood at the Lochland School in Geneva, N.Y., perBustle. However, Davis ensured that Margot would be included on trips with the rest of the family. Ultimately, she settled near Boston and was assisted by Bay Cove Human Services, according to herobituary. She was a participant in the Special Olympics and a Boston sports fan. After an illness, Margot died in May 2022. "Margot was a special person, gifted in her own way," her obituary read. "She led a difficult and challenging life but was able to persevere to find a world of happiness and joy. She had a love for people which was reciprocated by all who knew her. Her laugh was contagious, and she had a keen sense of humor. She was a survivor on many levels, including overcoming a bout with breast cancer." Express/Express/Getty ; Katy Winn/Getty Davis and Merrill welcomed Michael Merrill via adoption in 1951. Michael attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, graduating with a bachelor's in political science in 1973. That same year, he moved to Brookline, Mass.; four years later, in 1977, he graduated from law school at Boston University, per his professionalbio. For the next two years, Michael defended American military tribunals in Germany. Upon his return in 1979, he formed Merrill & McGeary in Boston, where he remains working today. After B.D. publishedMy Mother's Keeper,Michael cut ties with his sister, perVanity Fair. When asked in a 1987 interview if she believed she was a good mother, Davis replied, according to the outlet, "I think I was ... I loved my children very, very much ... I think I was a good mother. My son does too. That's a comfort, that one child agrees." When Davis died in 1989, Michael inherited half of her estate, which was worth $1 million, per theLos Angeles Times. In 1997, Michael co-founded The Bette Davis Foundation with the goal of providing financial assistance to promising young acting students at Boston University. For many years, it also honored a recipient with an annual Bette Davis Lifetime Achievement Award, which went to honorees likeMeryl StreepandGeena Davisin years past. Read the original article onPeople

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August 02, 2025

Bette Davis' 3 Children: All About the Late Actress' Daughters and Son

Bette Davis' 3 Children: All About the Late Actress' Daughters and Son Silver Screen Collection/Hulton Archive/Getty ; Bettmann/Gett...

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