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‘Beverly Hills, 90210’ Alum Shannen Doherty Dead at 53 After Battling Cancer
Shannen Doherty has died at the age of 53 after years of battling cancer. The actress passed away on July 13 and her publicist confirmed the news the following morning.
“It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the passing of actress Shannen Doherty,” Shannen’s publicist shared in a statement to People. “On Saturday, July 13, she lost her battle with cancer after many years of fighting the disease. 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.”
Shannen was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015. In 2017, she revealed that she was no longer in remission and that her cancer had returned in stage 4 During an appearance on Good Morning America, the Charmed star said, “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.”
Fans got to know Shannen as Brenda Walsh on Beverly Hills, 90210, which she starred on for four seasons from 1990 until 1994. She was then cast as Prue Halliwell on Charmed, which she starred on until the end of season 3 in 2001. In 2019, she reprised her role as Brenda on the Beverly Hills, 90210, reboot, BH90210.
“I haven’t sat down to write letters,” Shannen admitted in 2020. “That’s something I need to do. There are things I need to say to my mom. I want my husband to know what he’s meant to me. But whenever it comes time for me to do it, it feels so final. It feels like you’re signing off, and I’m not signing off. I feel like I’m a very, very healthy human being. It’s hard to wrap up your affairs when you feel like you’re going to live another 10 or 15 years.”
Shannen married her third husband, Kurt Iswarienko, in 2011. She filed for divorce in 2023 and was in the midst of figuring out their divorce settlement at the time of her death.
“It became very important to me that I was there for people who were going through it,” Shannen told Health amid her cancer battle. “I would never give medical advice because I’m not a doctor, but I would always say, ‘Advocate for yourself.’ And also, I get a little less trolls and haters on social media now, so that’s good. I think because cancer stripped me of my defense mechanisms, it allowed people to see all sides of me.”
In a separate interview, she added, “I know sharing helped me because, when I got back, these beautiful stories from other people, what they were going through … giving me hope and support and love, it really helped. It’s truly a family. There’s something so beautiful about the journey.” She also said that battling cancer made her a “better actor” and “better human being,” adding, “It takes down all your walls, all your barriers, everything that life sort of threw at you.”
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