Heavy/Hallmark Shannen Doherty thinks her ex is prolonging their divorce on purpose.
Well-known actress Shannen Doherty filed for divorce in April 2023, effectively ending her 11-year union with Kurt Iswarienko. It’s been more than a year since that filing, however, and the star’s divorce still isn’t finalized.
In court documents obtained by People magazine, Doherty, who has been diagnosed with terminal cancer, claims that Iswarienko is prolonging the process on purpose.
“It is simply not right that Kurt be permitted to prolong our divorce in hopes that I die before he is required to pay me while he continues to live his life and shirk his responsibilities to his dying wife of more than 11 years,” the documents read, in part.
On June 19, People magazine reported that Doherty has asked Iswarienko for some $15,000 per month in spousal support.
Kurt Iswarienko’s Lawyer Has Responded to Shannen Doherty’s Claim
Doherty made the spousal support request after she learned that her breast cancer had returned — and spread. Doherty was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015. She underwent a mastectomy followed by chemotherapy and radiation treatment to send her cancer into remission by 2017. In 2019, however, the cancer had returned.
In an interview with People magazine in late 2023, Doherty said that the stage IV cancer had spread to her bones.
With Doherty unable to take on the workload that she once did, she depends heavily on residual income from work she’s done in the past, which she explained in a court filing (per People).
“I recently learned that ‘Charmed’ will no longer be streaming on any major streaming platform after June 30, 2024. As a result, my future residual income will dramatically decrease,” she stated when asking a judge to grant her spousal support in her divorce.
Iswarienko’s lawyer denies that her client is waiting for his ex-wife to die.
“Kurt is not ‘simply wait[ing] for Shannen to die,’” attorney Katherine Heersema stated. “He wants the best for Shannen and he wants both of them to be able to put this case behind them and move forward,” she added.
Shannen Doherty Addressed Rumors About Her Divorce on Social Media
Back in May, Doherty posted a screenshot of an email that she received from a publication concerning her ongoing divorce.
“Sources tell In Touch that Shannen Doherty is determined to fight Kurt Iswarienko over spousal support and property divorce, despite her illness. Sources add that Shannen Doherty does not want to pay him ‘any more than she has to,'” the reporter’s email read.
“I’m tired. As if fighting stage 4 cancer. A divorce, exhaustion isn’t enough, I have to fight disgusting, sleazy publications like @intouchweekly. We told them the story is not true when they sent this e-mail to my publicist and to be blunt, it is no one’s business except mine if I choose to share. One would think that they would have enough humanity to leave me to fight much bigger issues like cancer as opposed to them,” Doherty wrote in responded.
“I’m giving a last warning to publications like these…. I will absolutely sue you. I will go after everyone who has a ‘source’ which they do not do due diligence on. Stop writing about me. Stop spreading your disinformation,” she added.
READ NEXT: Hallmark Actor Announces Departure From Long-Running Series