Celebrity Celebrity Deaths Tori Spelling Recalls the Heartbreaking Moment She Learned Shannen Doherty Had Died: 'I Knew Immediately' Spelling said Doherty's fans would "look to her for inspiration and power to carry on in the moments when they felt they couldn't," before noting, "I got to see that in person her whole life, which is beautiful" By JP Mangalindan JP Mangalindan JP Mangalindan is a Senior Writer for TV at PEOPLE. He joined PEOPLE in May 2023. JP's work has previously appeared in publications like Fortune, Business Insider, TechCrunch, GQ, Teen People and Entertainment Weekly. People Editorial Guidelines Published on July 29, 2024 06:15PM EDT Close Tori Spelling (left) and Shannen Doherty. Photo: Taylor Hill/WireImage; Neilson Barnard/Getty Images Tori Spelling is looking back on the devastating moment that she learned her close friend and costar Shannen Doherty had died. Spelling, 51, opened up about Doherty on the latest episode of her podcast misSPELLING, which dropped on July 28. In the episode, the Beverly Hills, 90210 alum explained she was asleep with her two of her children on Sunday, July 14 when her phone “kept buzzing.” “It kept going off,” she recalled. "I checked the time, and it was 7 a.m., and I knew immediately. I was I was like, 'Oh my god. Somebody's passed, somebody important has died.' And I took that moment not to go on social media. … When I pulled up Google, I saw that Shannen had passed on Saturday night, and it was shocking.” “For everyone around the world that was going through something, whether it was cancer or any other kind of disease or ailment or connected to a hard time they were going through … they really did look to her for inspiration and power to carry on in the moments when they felt they couldn't — and I got to see that in person,” she continued. “I got to see that in person her whole life, which is beautiful.” Why Tori Spelling Is 'Super Grateful' for Her 'Last Conversation' with Shannen Doherty Tori Spelling (left) and Shannen Doherty. Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images Spelling then recalled the first time she met Doherty at age 15 while filming the pilot for 90210. “I think Shannen and Brian [Austin Greene] were the first people that I met on set, and they were really, really welcoming,” she said. “She immediately took me under her wing. … She gave me a big hug, walked me around, took me into the makeup trailer.” The two didn’t always see eye-to-eye, Spelling admitted, which led to “lost years” between the two. But they eventually reconnected, discussed their past “misunderstandings” and realized they were being “silly.” “Ultimately, we got that time to go back and say, ‘None of that matters,’” she continued. “What matters is that core friendship that we had, and we were able to get back to that.” As she reflected on her longtime friend, Spelling called Doherty a “beacon,” adding, “She will live on in her work and in the people that loved her and the things she stood for.” Tori Spelling Promises to 'Carry the Torch on' for Shannen Doherty as She Praises Her Late Costar's 'Rebel' Nature Tori Spelling (left) and Shannen Doherty. mikel roberts/Sygma via Getty Images Doherty died on July 13 at age 53 following nearly a decade with breast cancer. After her diagnosis, and the cancer’s remission and return, the actress stayed busy, using her platform to advocate for — and raise money for — cancer awareness. She also continued working on projects, including her podcast Let’s Be Clear, in which she shared her thoughts on coming up as a young actress in Hollywood in the 90s, the great loves of her life and her cancer journey.Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. In an Instagram post Spelling shared on July 15, the actress paid tribute to Doherty with photos of them throughout the years. “We were each others wing women, true confidantes, support systems navigating bad relationships, roomates of sorts at times, travel buddies, and so much more. She always stuck up for me. Always had my back. Always believed in me when I didn’t or couldn’t believe in myself," Spelling wrote in part. Later in the tribute, she wrote of Doherty: "She was a rebel in an era when most women didn’t feel comfortable being strong. She never tried, she just was."