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Beverly Hills, 90210 star Shannen Doherty has died following a lengthy battle with breast cancer. She was 53 years old.
“It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the passing of actress Shannen Doherty,” Doherty’s publicist Leslie Sloane tells TVLine. “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.”
The actress, most famous for her four-season run as Brenda Walsh on the original Beverly Hills, 90210 and her three-season stint as Prue Halliwell on the original Charmed — and most infamous for her exits from those Aaron Spelling series — began her career at 11 years old, appearing one after the other on Michael Landon’s Father Murphy and Little House On the Prairie. She parlayed that early success into a lead on NBC’s Our House, a 1986-88 family drama starring Wilford Brimley and Deidre Hall.
Then came what was arguably Doherty’s breakout role, that of “megabitch” Heather Duke — aka the last mean girl standing — in the big-screen black comedy Heathers. She booked 90210 two years later and, overnight, found herself the object of fan adulation and tabloid obsession.
Upon her departure from the Fox hit, the sometime Playboy covergirl starred in Kevin Smith’s Mallrats (1995) but mainly worked in TV movies until former boss Spelling rehired her for Charmed in 1997. She even directed a few episodes before her character was killed off in Season 3.
In the 2000s, Doherty’s work ran the gamut from reality shows (Breaking Up With Shannen Doherty, Shannen Says, Dancing With the Stars) and more TV movies (Christmas Caper, Blood Lake: Attack of the Killer Lampreys, Witchslayer Gretl) to a small-screen Heathers reboot and an animated series in which she voiced twins, one of whom was a ghost (Mari-Kari). Still, all roads seemed to lead back to 90210.
In 2008, Doherty reprised her role of Brenda opposite Jennie Garth as onetime bestie Kelly Taylor for The CW’s short-lived spinoff. Eleven years later, she joined more members of the original series’ cast in Fox’s meta-revival, BH90210, and guest-starred on The CW’s Riverdale to help the series lay to rest Fred Andrews, the heroic character played by her late 90210 leading man, Luke Perry.
In sharing with Good Morning America in February 2020 that her cancer was no longer in remission and, in fact, had advanced to stage 4, Doherty called her diagnosis “a bitter pill to swallow in a lot of ways… There are days when I say, ‘Why me?’ and then I go, ‘Well, why not me?’ Who else besides me deserves this? None of us do.”
In June 2023, Doherty shared that the cancer had spread to her brain.
So sad 😰! May she rest in peace now
It was definitely sad to
hear of Shannen’s passing
especially at an age that
was too young to die.
I admired her honesty about having cancer and I admired her bravery as she dealt with cancer.
Shannen valiantly fought the cancer until the end and is now resting in 🕊️ peace.
In memory and in honor of Shannen,,, hopefully more women will make sure to get their mammograms on time and there are programs for women who aren’t insured , to
be able to get free
mammograms.
My sincerest condolences and prayers 🙏 to Shannen’s family as they grieve for her.
I’m so sorry to hear this! May she rest in heavenly peace. Such a humble person.
RIP, she might have been a so called hard actress to work with but she was a very talented one and that never can be denied about her. She was always great at acting her roles out.
Shannen was one of those rare performers who was compelling regardless of quality of script. She had charisma to spare.
She is gone way too soon. But weren’t we lucky to have her while we did?
Super sad to read this, may she rest in peace.
RIP SHANNON
No more pain.
Please spell her name correctly in the comments… it’s the least you can do…
Brenda & Dylan now together forever …R.I.P.
I pray that when I die strangers don’t hope I’m spending eternity with a former co-worker from a job I left 30 years prior.
Um, if you know anything about Shannen then you would know that they were still great friends when he died and she appeared on both BH90210 and Riverdale as a tribute to him. Hoping that she sees her longtime friend in the afterlife isn’t such a strange thing.
Actually I didn’t say Shannen and Luke
RIP SHANNON YOU HAVE SUFFORED SO MANY YEARS WIYH THIS DEMON AND NOW YOU’RE IN PEACE IN HEAVEN!!
Please spell her name correctly in the comments… it’s the least you can do…
Stop playing comment police when people are taking the time to express their grief. It’s the least YOU can do.
[COMMENT REMOVED DUE TO SYSTEM-DETECTED USE OF MULTIPLE USER NAMES]
It’s called respect, not comment police
This just makes me sad. :( I loved watching her in whatever role she played. Rest in peace.
This one stings and celebrity deaths usually don’t effect me. My mom had breast cancer that went to her brain and she did fairly quickly. I’ve been pulling for Shannen because I know what my mom went though. I take comfort in that she can finally rest now but I truly feel for her and her family.
Sorry about your mom.
Thank you!
RIP Shannon. She was extremely memorable on Beverly Hill 90210 and of course the early years of Charmed. But I also will always remember her for the cult classic movie, Girls Just Want to Have Fun. She was very talented. She fought the battle hard, but unfortunately cancer can be evil in the end.
Gentle Peace, Shannen. May you rest well. I hope your family & friends find solace and comfort during this difficult time of grief.
I’m gutted. RIP Shannen :(
I’ll be honest, this one got me a little teary-eyed. Between 90210 & Charmed, Shannen Doherty was a huge part of my childhood/teen years. I loved her characters on both shows and I thought she had a wonderful screen presence. I was always bummed she didn’t appear in more shows/movies I watched. I obviously didn’t know her but I felt so strongly for her during her very long and hard battle with cancer. I was glad when she started her podcast and that she got to spend these last few years speaking her truth about everything she’d gone through. My heart goes out to her loved ones and her fans around the world. May she rest in peace.
She was a warrior!! May she find the peace thst eluded her here on earth. May she rest in peace. We will miss you Prue!! 😪😪
Shelly Duvall, Dr Ruth, Richard Simmons, and now Shannon Doherty… this has been kinda a shocking few days of unexpected news.
Also, Benji Gregory who played Brian Tanner on the 1980’s sitcom ALF passed away last month but it was announced this past week and it was announced that former NFL player Jacoby Jones passed away today.
Yeah, it was an unusually busy weekend down here. Not to mention we almost got another one on Saturday. Actually glad that didn’t happen. It was chaotic enough down here as it was!
Dr. Ruth💔, Richard Simmons💔 and now Shannon Doherty💔…
Sympathies to their families and friends… 🥀🤍🕊️🤍🥀
😞
Why would anybody put a “thumbs down” for a person expressing genuine sympathy?!
It’s rude and I know people just press the thumbs down just to be mean! 😠
Whoever the two people were that gave this person a thumbs down on her post … Remember what goes around come around!
You must be 8 or 9 years old because you certainly act like it!🤪
Trolls gotta troll, no matter how despicable.
No she was so wonderful.
Brenda and Dylan finally together as it should always have been.
Whatever you may have thought of Shannen, one thing remains true.
Cancer sucks and takes away our loved ones way too soon.
RIP Shannen
So sad. RIP Shannen. Gone to young and to soon.
She was one of my favorite actresses and people of all time. To a certain generation, she was just the greatest. She suffered more than anyone should and shower bravery and perseverance and curiosity and love through all of it. Her battle is over now and I can only hope whenever she is that she is resting in peace.
So very sad to hear this.She was a beautiful spirit in this world.She will be missed.She is at rest now.🙏❤️
So sorry to hear this. She fought so long and hard. My heart goes out to her mother.
That is so sad. What a fight she put up. She is at peace now.