Shannen Doherty, the 含羞草研究社淏everly Hills, 90210含羞草研究社� star whose life and career were roiled by illness and tabloid stories, has died at 53.
After years with breast cancer, Doherty died Saturday, according to a statement from her publicist, Leslie Sloane.
含羞草研究社淭he 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,含羞草研究社� Sloane said Sunday. The news was first reported by People magazine.
Her illness was publicly revealed in a lawsuit filed in 2015 against her former business managers, in which she alleged they mismanaged her money and allowed her health insurance to lapse. She later shared intimate details of her treatment following a single mastectomy. In December 2016, she posted a photo of her first day of radiation, calling the treatment 含羞草研究社渇rightening含羞草研究社� for her.
In February 2020, Doherty revealed that the cancer had returned and she was at stage four. She said she came forward because her health conditions could come out in court. The actor had sued insurance giant State Farm after her California home was damaged in a fire in 2018.
含羞草研究社淚 have no idea how long I含羞草研究社檓 going to be on the chemo for. 含羞草研究社� That含羞草研究社檚 not something that I can predict, it含羞草研究社檚 not something my doctors can predict. And it含羞草研究社檚 scary, it含羞草研究社檚 like a big wake-up call,含羞草研究社� Doherty said on a late June episode of her podcast 含羞草研究社淟et含羞草研究社檚 Be Clear,含羞草研究社� adding that a recent change in the shape of her cancer cells meant there were new treatment protocols for her to try. 含羞草研究社淔or the first time in a couple months probably, I feel hopeful because there are so many more protocols now, whereas before I was hopeful 含羞草研究社� but I was still getting prepared.含羞草研究社�
A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Doherty moved to Los Angeles with her family at age 7 and, within a few years, became an actor.
含羞草研究社淚t was completely my decision,含羞草研究社� she told The Associated Press in a 1994 interview. 含羞草研究社淢y parents never pushed me into anything. They support me. It really wouldn含羞草研究社檛 matter if I was a professional soccer player 含羞草研究社� they含羞草研究社檇 still be as supportive and loving.含羞草研究社�
As a child star, she worked steadily in such TV series as 含羞草研究社淟ittle House on the Prairie,含羞草研究社� in which she played Jenny Wilder. She detoured as a teenager to the big screen in 含羞草研究社淕irls Just Want to Have Fun含羞草研究社� (1985) and 含羞草研究社淗eathers.含羞草研究社�
In 1990, the doe-eyed, dark-haired actor won her breakout role as Brenda Walsh in producer Aaron Spelling含羞草研究社檚 hit teenage melodrama set in posh Beverly Hills. She and Jason Priestley含羞草研究社檚 Brandon, Brenda含羞草研究社檚 twin brother, were fish-out-of-water Midwesterners.
But Doherty含羞草研究社檚 fame came with media scrutiny and accounts of outbursts, drinking and impulsiveness 含羞草研究社� the latter most notably after a very brief marriage to actor George Hamilton含羞草研究社檚 son, Ashley. Doherty含羞草研究社檚 second marriage, in 2002, was to Rick Salomon and was annulled within a year. In 2011, Doherty married photographer Kurt Iswarienko. She filed for divorce in April 2023.
She left 含羞草研究社淏everly Hills, 90210含羞草研究社� at the end of its fourth season in 1994 (the show aired until 2000), reportedly removed by Spelling because of conflicts with her co-stars and chronic lateness.
But in her 1994 AP interview, Doherty described her life as peaceful.
含羞草研究社淚t must be, if you pick up the Enquirer and find the only thing they can write about me is that I installed a pay phone next to my house and was seen at Stroud含羞草研究社檚 (a discount bed-and-bath chain) buying $1,400 worth of bed linens and wouldn含羞草研究社檛 go to an expensive store,含羞草研究社� she said. 含羞草研究社淚t must be calm if they含羞草研究社檙e pulling that stuff out of their heads.含羞草研究社�
Three years later, in 1997, Doherty was sentenced to anger-management counseling by a Beverly Hills Municipal Court judge after she allegedly smashed a beer bottle onto a man含羞草研究社檚 windshield during a quarrel. After a 2001 drunken driving arrest, she pleaded no contest and was ordered to serve five days in a work-release program.
Doherty reunited with Spelling when he cast her in 1998 as Prue Halliwell in 含羞草研究社淐harmed.含羞草研究社� In an AP interview that year, the actor expressed regrets about her past.
含羞草研究社淚 did bring a lot of it on myself,含羞草研究社� Doherty said. 含羞草研究社淚 don含羞草研究社檛 think I can point fingers and say, 含羞草研究社極h, YOU含羞草研究社橰E to blame.含羞草研究社� And I don含羞草研究社檛 do that with myself, either. Because I was just growing up.含羞草研究社�
Her personality was 含羞草研究社済rotesquely misconstrued含羞草研究社� by the media, Doherty added.
Spelling said at the time that their relationship was never as bad as some made it seem.
含羞草研究社淲e had a few bumps along the road, but golly, who doesn含羞草研究社檛?含羞草研究社� said Spelling, who died in 2006. 含羞草研究社淓verything Shannen did was blown out of proportion by the rag sheets.含羞草研究社�
Doherty starred with Holly Marie Combs and Alyssa Milano in 含羞草研究社淐harmed含羞草研究社� from 1998-2001, at which point her character was replaced by one played by Rose McGowan. Doherty appeared in the 含羞草研究社�90210含羞草研究社� sequel series seven years later and competed on 含羞草研究社淒ancing with the Stars含羞草研究社� in 2010. She also worked on the third 含羞草研究社淏everly Hills, 90210含羞草研究社� reboot, 含羞草研究社淏H90210,含羞草研究社� a meta send-up that reunited most of the original cast and aired for one season in 2019.
She also appeared in a tribute episode of 含羞草研究社淩iverdale含羞草研究社� dedicated to that show含羞草研究社檚 star 含羞草研究社� and her late 含羞草研究社淏everly Hills, 90210含羞草研究社� on-screen love interest 含羞草研究社� Luke Perry.
Doherty struggled to recapture her 含羞草研究社淏everly Hills, 90210含羞草研究社� star status, but worked in big-screen films including 含羞草研究社淢allrats含羞草研究社� and 含羞草研究社淛ay and Silent Bob Strike Back含羞草研究社� and in such TV movies as 含羞草研究社淎 Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story,含羞草研究社� in which she played the 含羞草研究社淕one with the Wind含羞草研究社� author. A nadir was 含羞草研究社淏lindfold: Acts of Obsession,含羞草研究社� an erotic thriller opposite Judd Nelson.
Doherty含羞草研究社檚 lawsuit against her ex-business managers was settled in 2016. She was open about the toll that cancer was taking. She posted photos that showed the baldness that followed treatment and, in an August 2016 interview with 含羞草研究社淓ntertainment Tonight,含羞草研究社� shared her fears.
含羞草研究社淭he unknown is always the scariest part,含羞草研究社� she said. 含羞草研究社淚s the chemo going to work? Is the radiation going to work?含羞草研究社� she said. 含羞草研究社淧ain is manageable, you know living without a breast is manageable, it含羞草研究社檚 the worry of your future and how your future is going to affect the people that you love.含羞草研究社�
Doherty advocated for cancer awareness and care, and spoke to the AP in 2021 about how spending years with the disease affected her life and sense of optimism.
含羞草研究社淲hen you get something like cancer, your tolerance for drama is zero. I don含羞草研究社檛 like people wasting my time. I don含羞草研究社檛 like negativity,含羞草研究社� she said. 含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 odd because I think if you look back, you含羞草研究社檙e like, 含羞草研究社極h, gosh, it含羞草研究社檚 so much drama around her,含羞草研究社� but I don含羞草研究社檛 think I was necessarily into the drama. I just think if we took young 18-year-old Shannon, 19-year-old Shannon, and we took her and planted her like right now, I would be a nerd and nobody would be writing about me.含羞草研究社�
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Lynn Elber, a longtime television writer, retired from The Associated Press in 2022. AP journalists Alicia Rancilio and Mallika Sen contributed reporting.
Lynn Elber, The Associated Press
