James Van Der Beek's wife has suffered a miscarriage

In a video package on 'Dancing With the Stars', James said: "My wife Kimberly and I went through every expecting parent's worst nightmare. We lost the baby.

"The little soul that we had expected to welcome into our family took a shortcut to whatever lies beyond.

"You never know why these things happen, that's what I've been telling my kids.

"All you know is that it brings you closer together, it breaks you open, it opens up your heart, it deepens your appreciation.

"It makes you more human."

James also took to Instagram to admit he and Kimberly - who have kids Olivia, nine, Joshua, seven, Annabel Leah, five, Emilia, three, and Gwendolyn, 16 months - are "devastated" and "in shock".

He wrote: "Wrecked. Devastated. In shock. That's how we're feeling right now after the soul we thought were going to welcome into our family in April... has taken a short cut to whatever lies beyond this life. We've been through this before, but never this late in the pregnancy, and never accompanied by such a scary, horrific threat to @vanderkimberly and her well-being. Grateful that she's now recovering, but we've only just begun unpacking the layers of this one. Thank you to all of our friends and co-workers (and dance partners) who have shown up for us so beautifully during this time. As many of you have said, "There are no words..." and it's true. Which is why in a time like this it's enough to know that you're there. Grieving AND counting our blessings today. (sic)"

Despite being in mourning, the former 'Dawson's Creek' star still competed on the show, and paid tribute to his wife ahead of his dance.

He said: "Kimberly, I love you.

"Kimberly, I'm dancing for you, I'm dancing for us, so here we go, babe."

But he was later eliminated from the competition.

Just last month, James admitted he and Kimberly wanted to eliminate the stigma surrounding miscarriages, after revealing she had tragically endured three before finally falling pregnant again with their sixth child.

She said: "It's so hard, but it's important to talk about. We wait so long to tell people that we are pregnant so the possibility of miscarriage has decreased. But in the meantime, you're tired, you need help and you're going through one of the wildest times of your life."

James added: "'She miscarried' puts not even subtle blame on the mother, but in all but the most extreme cases, there is nothing the mother did or didn't do."