India, Dec. 20 -- James Van Der Beek has opened up about his absence at the recent Dawson's Creek reunion on Broadway. The actor assured fans that this was completely unrelated to his cancer diagnosis, TODAY reported.

The 48-year-old revealed last year that he had been diagnosed with colorectal cancer. In September this year, fans got concerned when Van Der Beek skipped attending the Dawson's Creek reunion in person and instead featured in a video.

Speaking to TODAY at his ranch in Texas, Van Der Beek said that he considered himself "really fortunate in an unfortunate diagnosis."

He said that his absence was "not cancer-related," adding that he did not attend the event in September after being "hit with some stomach bugs," which even c...