Heavy Shannen Doherty has died.
Actress Shannen Doherty has died. Doherty battled cancer for many years and recently learned that her illness was terminal.
“It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the passing of actress Shannen Doherty. On Saturday, July 13, she lost her battle with cancer after many years of fighting the disease,” Doherty’s publicist, Leslie Sloane, told People magazine on July 14.
“The devoted daughter, sister, aunt and friend was surrounded by her loved ones as well as her dog, Bowie. The family asks for their privacy at this time so they can grieve in peace,” Sloane continued.
Doherty, who is best-known for her role as Brenda Walsh on “Beverly Hills, 90210,” was 53 years old. She wasn’t married and didn’t have any children. She also starred for eight seasons on “Charmed,” appeared on season 10 of “Dancing With the Stars” and was in the 2010 Hallmark movie “Growing the Big One.”
Shannen Doherty Started Another Round of Chemotherapy in June
Doherty was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015. The course of treatment involved a mastectomy followed by chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Doherty’s cancer went into remission by 2017.
In 2020, Doherty revealed that her cancer had returned.
“It’s going to come out in a matter of days or a week that I’m stage 4. So my cancer came back, and that’s why I’m here. I don’t think I’ve processed it. It’s a bitter pill to swallow in a lot of ways,” she said on “Good Morning America.”
Doherty has been candid in talking about her illness and her treatment and often did so on her podcast. Less than one month before she died, she admitted that she didn’t know what was next as she started another round of chemotherapy.
“I have no idea how long I’m gonna be on the chemo for,” Doherty said on the June 24 episode of her “Let’s Be Clear” podcast.
“I have no idea if it’s gonna be 3 months or if it’s gonna be 6 months. Or if we’re gonna — if after 3 months, it’s not working, if we’re gonna change again,” she continued. “That’s not something that I can predict. It’s not something my doctors can predict. And it’s scary.”
In 2023, Doherty’s cancer had metastasized to her bones and her brain.
Shannen Doherty Began Planning for What Might Happen by Moving Out of Her Home & Downsizing
As the months went on, Doherty made some important decisions in her life. In March 2024, for example, she opened up about her decision to downsize. She moved out of her home in Tennessee, which proved to be emotional for her.
“I was packing up one of the places there and it was really hard,” she said on the March 31 episode of her “Let’s Be Clear” podcast. “It was really emotional because, to a certain extent, I felt like I was giving up on this dream,” she added.
“Did it mean that I was giving up on life? Did it mean that I was, like, throwing in the towel?” she recalled thinking while moving.
“I think somehow the brain works in mysterious ways where, even though you’re incredibly sad about something and it feels like you’re giving up on something that was very special and important to you, you know that it is the right thing to do,” she added, coming to peace with the decision.