LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shannen Doherty, the “Beverly Hills, 90210” star whose life and career were roiled by illness and tabloid stories, has passed away at the age of 53.
Following a battle with breast cancer, Doherty passed away on Saturday, as confirmed by her publicist, Leslie Sloane.
“Surrounded by her loved ones and her dog, Bowie, the devoted daughter, sister, aunt, and friend passed away peacefully. The family requests privacy during this time of grieving,” Sloane said on Sunday. The news was first reported by People magazine.
Her struggle with illness became public knowledge when she filed a lawsuit in 2015 against her former business managers, accusing them of mismanaging her finances and allowing her health insurance to lapse. She later shared personal details of her treatment journey after undergoing a mastectomy. In December 2016, she bravely shared a photo of her first day of radiation therapy, describing it as a “frightening” experience.
In February 2020, Doherty revealed that her cancer had returned and was now at Stage 4. She chose to speak out due to potential disclosure of her health status during legal proceedings. Doherty had sued State Farm after her home in California was damaged in a fire in 2018.
“I can’t predict how long I’ll be on chemotherapy. It’s not something I or my doctors can foresee. It’s a scary time, a wake-up call,” Doherty shared on an episode of her podcast “Let’s Be Clear,” expressing newfound hope due to advancements in treatment protocols. “For the first time in a couple of months, I feel hopeful because there are so many more options now, which was not the case before. I was hopeful then, but now I’m more prepared.”
Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, Doherty relocated to Los Angeles at the age of 7 and began her acting career shortly after.
“It was completely my choice,” she mentioned in a 1994 interview with The Associated Press. “My parents never pressured me into anything. They support me. Even if I were a professional soccer player, they would still be just as supportive and loving.”
Starting as a child star, she appeared in various TV series such as “Little House on the Prairie” and transitioned to film with movies like “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” (1985) and “Heathers.”
In 1990, Doherty rose to fame with her role as Brenda Walsh in the popular teen drama “Beverly Hills, 90210” produced by Aaron Spelling. She portrayed Brenda alongside Jason Priestley’s Brandon, her on-screen twin brother, as Midwesterners adjusting to life in posh Beverly Hills.
Despite her success, Doherty faced intense media scrutiny, often portrayed negatively due to incidents of outbursts, drinking, and impulsivity — notably after a short-lived marriage to actor George Hamilton’s son, Ashley. Her second marriage to Rick Salomon in 2002 was annulled within a year. In 2011, she married photographer Kurt Iswarienko, filing for divorce in April 2023.
She exited “Beverly Hills, 90210” after the fourth season in 1994 (the show continued until 2000), reportedly dismissed by Spelling due to conflicts with co-stars and chronic lateness.
However, in her 1994 AP interview, Doherty described her life as tranquil.
“It must be peaceful because if you pick up the Enquirer and the only thing they have to report on me is that I installed a pay phone near my house and bought $1,400 worth of bed linens from Stroud’s (a discount store) instead of a luxury store,” she explained. “If they’re scraping the bottom of the barrel for stories, it must be peaceful.”
Three years later, in 1997, Doherty was ordered to attend anger management counseling by a Beverly Hills Municipal Court judge after reportedly smashing a beer bottle on a man’s windshield during an altercation. Following a DUI arrest in 2001, she pleaded no contest and was sentenced to five days in a work-release program.
Doherty reunited with Spelling when he cast her in 1998 as Prue Halliwell in “Charmed.” In a 1998 interview with AP, she expressed remorse for her past actions.
“I take responsibility for a lot of it,” Doherty admitted. “I can’t blame others and say, ‘Oh, it’s all your fault.’ I don’t do that with myself either. I was just growing up.”
She also emphasized that her image in the media was often distorted.
Spelling echoed similar sentiments, stating that their relationship was not as tumultuous as portrayed.
“We had our disagreements, but who doesn’t?” said Spelling, who passed away in 2006. “Everything Shannen did was blown out of proportion by the tabloids.”
Doherty starred alongside Holly Marie Combs and Alyssa Milano in “Charmed” from 1998-2001, when her character was replaced by Rose McGowan. She made appearances in the “90210” sequel series seven years later and competed on “Dancing with the Stars” in 2010. Doherty also participated in the third “Beverly Hills, 90210” reboot, “BH90210,” a meta send-up that reunited most of the original cast and aired for one season in 2019.
She made an appearance in a tribute episode of “Riverdale” dedicated to the late Luke Perry, her former on-screen love interest from “Beverly Hills, 90210.”
While she struggled to reclaim her “Beverly Hills, 90210” stardom, Doherty continued to work in feature films like “Mallrats” and “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back” as well as TV movies like “A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story,” where she portrayed the “Gone with the Wind” author. She also appeared in the erotic thriller “Blindfold: Acts of Obsession” opposite Judd Nelson.
Doherty’s lawsuit against her ex-business managers was resolved in 2016. She remained candid about the toll cancer took on her, sharing photos of her post-treatment baldness and discussing her fears in an August 2016 interview with “Entertainment Tonight.”
“The uncertainty is the scariest part,” she expressed. “Will the chemotherapy be effective? Will the radiation work? Living without a breast or managing pain is doable, but the worry about the future and its impact on your loved ones is difficult.”
Advocating for cancer awareness and care, Doherty spoke with the AP in 2021 about how her battle with cancer shaped her perspective on life and optimism.
“With something like cancer, your tolerance for drama diminishes. I don’t entertain negativity or time-wasters,” she stated. “Looking back, you might think, ‘There was so much drama surrounding her,’ but I don’t think I sought out drama. If we took the young 18-year-old Shannen or 19-year-old Shannen and placed her here today, I would just be a nerd and no one would write about me.”
Lynn Elber, a veteran television writer, retired from The Associated Press in 2022. AP journalists Alicia Rancilio and Mallika Sen contributed to this report.
