James Van Der Beek Gushes About Fifth Child With Kimberly Brook

James Van Der Beek and wife Kimberly Brook are now parents of five children. The couple welcomed their newest bundle of joy, a girl named Gwendolyn, last Friday, June 15.

Over the weekend, Van Der Beek exclusively opened up to People about his sentiments after becoming a father for the fifth time. “Every child awakens a different energy in you … and this one has been bringing the truth ever since we found out she was on her way,” the actor said.

The “Dawson’s Creek” alum then couldn’t help but express his sorrow for parents who are separated from their children due to the U.S.-Mexico border. “I’ve been in bliss these last few days, but I’ve also been feeling the pain of parents who have been separated from their kids, and the terror those poor kids must be in right now,” he said.

“I live an incredibly privileged life… and the last thing I want would be to politicize a birth… but this is human rights abuse. It just didn’t seem right to bask in my privilege and blessings and not bring attention to it,” Van Der Beek added.

Van Der Beek and his wife provided People with exclusive first-look photos of little Gwendolyn. In one photo, the actor is seen cradling his newborn daughter against his bar chest. In another snap, the baby is surrounded by his siblings: Olivia, 7, Joshua, 6, Annabel Leah, 4, and Emilia, 2.

Van Der Beek also shared the good news with his fans and followers on Instagram. He uploaded a series of photos showing his family and wrote, “Thrilled to announce we welcomed a brand new baby girl into the world Friday morning, just in time for #FathersDay … Oh, and @vanderkimberly — you’re an … earth goddess rock star and I’m as in awe of you as I am in love with you … #HappyFathersDay everybody.”

The couple announced that they were expecting their fifth child in February. At the time, the actor shared a picture showing his kids touching Brook’s growing belly on his Instagram account. “Thrilled beyond belief to announce that we are once again adding to our family. And I say ‘beyond belief’ because some people are probably wondering if we’re out of our minds. Which might very well be… but I couldn’t be more excited. Or grateful,” he said.

Van Der Beek and Brook tied the knot in August 2010 in Tel Aviv, Israel — the place where they met for the first time. They then welcomed their first child, Olivia, a month after.