Katie Holmes and James Van Der Beek Reportedly ‘Briefly Dated’ While Filming ‘Dawson’s Creek’

Katie Holmes and James Van Der Beek starred as friends-turned-lovers-turned- friends-again for six seasons of Dawson’s Creek — but there was reportedly a romance brewing off set too.

According to a story published by Daily Mail on Tuesday, February 17, one source revealed Holmes, 47, reportedly told close friends that the late actor was her “teen love,” while a second source called their relationship a “brief fling.”

The outlet claimed that the First Daughter actress “briefly dated” Van Der Beek before moving on with costar Joshua Jackson.

“James and Katie dated for a bit. They tried to keep their relationship secret but everyone on the set knew about it,” the first source told the outlet. “Then news of them being a couple began to filter out.”

“They didn’t want to talk about their love lives in public, so they decided to keep quiet about it,” the first source added of the pair, who starred as Joey Potter and Dawson Leery on the early-2000s hit teen drama.

“Everyone loved James both as a friend and a love interest, and James and Katie definitely had a brief moment with each other but realized very fast, they were better off as friends,” the second source added. “And that was totally cool with them, they never made it an issue whatsoever.”

Van Der Beek tragically died on February 11 after a long battle with colorectal cancer. He was 48.

Holmes shared a sweet tribute to her former costar on Instagram following his death, writing in part, “To share a space with your imagination is sacred — breathing the same air in the land of make believe and trusting that each other’s hearts are safe in their expression.”