CNN
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Shannen Doherty, an actress who starred on the hit series “Beverly Hills, 90210” and “Charmed” and documented her nine-year battle with breast cancer, has died, according to her longtime publicist.
She was 53 years old.
“It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the passing of actress Shannen Doherty. On Saturday, July 13, she lost her battle with cancer after many years of battling the disease,” Doherty’s publicist Leslie Sloane said in a statement to CNN.
“The devoted daughter, sister, aunt and friend was surrounded by her loved ones and her dog, Bowie. The family asks for privacy at this time so they can grieve in peace,” the statement continued.
The news was first reported by People magazine.
Doherty developed a devoted fan base with roles as Heather Duke in the 1989 cult film “Heathers,” Brenda Walsh from 1990 to 1994 on the hit series “Beverly Hills, 90210” and its subsequent spin-off “90210,” and Prue Halliwell on “Charmed” from 1998 to 2001.
Doherty was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015, which went into remission two years later. In 2020, Doherty announced that the cancer had returned, spread, and was stage 4.
She shared the news in June 2023 that her cancer had spread to her brain.
Shannen Doherty shared her experiences with cancer on her podcast, “Let’s Be Clear with Shannen Doherty.” The final episode aired on July 8.
Doherty, who had spoken openly about her life with cancer even though she knew it was incurable, kept that mindset when talking about her plans for the future.
“I think I need to make as much money as I can over the next couple of years, put it in the bank, put it into my investment, build it up so that, A., I don’t have to work and I only work when I really want to,” she said this month. “I can also go on vacation a lot more often. And then, when I die, my mother will have a nice little nest egg and I won’t have to worry about her.”
Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Doherty’s family moved to Los Angeles when she was a child and she quickly caught the acting bug.
She made her acting debut at the age of ten with a role in the television series “Father Murphy.”
Her performance was noticed by legendary actor Michael Landon, and she landed the role of Jenny Wilder on his beloved series, “Little House on the Prairie.”
Doherty honed her craft in a variety of projects, including the series “Our House,” the 1985 film “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” and the 1988 teen dark comedy “Heathers.”
Mark Sennett/Getty Images
The cast of “Beverly Hills, 90210” in 1991. From left to right: Ian Ziering, Tori Spelling, Shannen Doherty, Brian Austin Green, Jason Priestley, Jennie Garth, Gabrielle Carteris and Luke Perry.
She leveraged her experience as a child star to land her biggest role yet, as high-spirited high school student Brenda Walsh in Aaron Spelling’s hugely popular teen drama “Beverly Hills, 90210.”
This role, in which she caused a sensation on screen opposite her partner Luke Perry as her love interest Dylan McKay, made her a celebrity.
Doherty left the show after four seasons following reports of on-set tensions between her and some of her castmates.
She returned to the big screen in “Almost Dead” in 1994 and “Mallrats” in 1995.
Three years later, Doherty reunited with Spelling for the series “Charmed” with her co-stars Alyssa Milano and Holly Marie Combs in which they played three witch sisters.
She left her role as Prue Halliwell in that series after three years and found work on various films, including “The Rendering” in 2002 and “View of Terror” in 2003.
Hulton Archives/Getty Images
The cast of “Charmed.” From left: Alyssa Milano, Shannen Doherty and Holly Marie Combs as Piper Halliwell. (Photo by Getty Images)
In 2008, Doherty reprised the role of Brenda in the CW reboot “90210” for seven episodes.
She then starred as herself in the meta-style reboot “BH90210” in 2019, the same year she made a guest appearance as a stranded motorist on the CW’s “Riverdale,” in which Perry co-starred. He died at the age of 52 in March 2019 after suffering a stroke.
In September 2020, Doherty spoke to Elle magazine about the feelings of gratitude she focused on amid her experiences with cancer.
Michael Tran/AFP/Getty Images
Shannen Doherty in 2019.
“I try to cherish all the little moments that most people don’t really see or take for granted,” she said. “The little things are magnified to me. We have a bottomless well within us, and it’s just about continuing to dig into that well to find the strength to face adversity — and so that we can also see all the beauty.”
On Sunday, Doherty’s partners and friends paid tribute to him.
Gabrielle Carteris, who starred alongside Doherty on “90210,” wrote on Instagram: “So young, so sad. May Shannon rest in peace. I know Luke is there with open arms, loving you.”
Jason Priestley, who played Brandon Walsh in the teen drama, wrote that he was “shocked and saddened” by Doherty’s death.
“She was a force of nature and I will miss her,” he wrote on Instagram. “Sending love and light to her family during this dark time.”
Former “90210” actor Brian Austin Green wrote in the Stories section of his verified Instagram account that he would miss Doherty “more than I know how to handle right now.”
Rose McGowan, Doherty’s “Charmed” co-star, wrote on Instagram that her friend “has the heart of a lion.”
“Passion for craftsmanship is often wrongly seen as a source of problems. Shannen was a passion,” she wrote.
McGowan said she met Doherty in the 1990s and got to know her better later, calling the friendship a “beautiful gift.”
“Our lives were intertwined in a unique way. We laughed at the dark forces that wanted us to hate each other, but instead chose love and respect,” she wrote. “A tough guy with a soft heart like no other. A force of energy that will live forever in hearts.”
This article has been updated. CNN’s Nadeem Muaddi contributed to this report.