Actress Shannen Doherty dies leaving behind mother, brother & dog
American actress Shannen Doherty, known for starring in hit ’90s TV shows, has reportedly died at the age of 53.
Her death was confirmed by her publicist Leslie Sloane in an exclusive statement to People magazine.
Source: Kase Upton on Facebook
She had been fighting cancer for nine years.
Shannen Doherty dies on 13 July surrounded by loved ones
Ms Sloane said with a “heavy heart” that Doherty passed away on Saturday (13 July) surrounded by her loved ones and her dog, Bowie.
The actress was a “devoted daughter, sister, aunt and friend”, she noted, adding:
The family asks for their privacy at this time so they can grieve in peace.
She leaves behind her mother, Rosa, and her brother Sean.
Shannen Doherty dies after fighting cancer for 9 years
Doherty had been fighting cancer for many years, the publicist said.
Source: Shannen Doherty on Instagram
The breast cancer was first diagnosed in 2015, but she said it had gone into remission in April 2017.
However, it returned in 2019 and the next year she announced that she had metastatic stage 4 cancer.
In June 2023, she shared that the cancer had spread to her brain. She also posted on Instagram saying that she had undergone surgery in January 2023.
Source: Shannen Doherty on Instagram
In November 2023, she told People that the cancer had spread to her bones and said she didn’t “want to die” as she was “not done with living”.
In recent months, she had posted videos on Instagram detailing her struggle with the disease.
She acted in hit TV shows
Doherty was best known for her breakout role in TV series “Beverly Hills, 90210” which premiered in 1990.
Source: Brendan Wallace on Facebook
She played Brenda Walsh, the female lead of the show, which saw her nominated at the Young Artist Awards for “Best Young Actress Starring in a Television Series”.
Source: Brendan Wallace on Facebook
However, after being criticised for her purported partying, romantic relationships and on-set behaviour, she left the show after Season 4.
Doherty gained more fame when she was cast as Prue Halliwell, the eldest of three magical sisters in “Charmed”, which aired its first episode in 1998.
Source: Mes Series.fr – Doublage Français on Facebook
Her run on the hit series lasted three seasons, but not before she was nominated twice at the Saturn Awards for “Best Actress on Television”.
Unfortunately, her time on both shows was marked by media reports of bad behaviour and feuds with co-stars.
Doherty would later reprise her role as Brenda Walsh as a guest star in a 2008 reboot on “Beverly Hills, 90210” titled just “90210”.
Co-stars pay tribute to her
Some of Doherty’s former co-stars have paid tribute to her after news of her death was released.
Jason Priestley, who played her 90210 screen brother Brandon Walsh, said in an Instagram post that he was “shocked and saddened” to hear of her passing, adding that she was a “force of nature”.
Alyssa Milano, who played her sister in “Charmed”, said she was a “talented actress, beloved by many” in a statement quoted by Entertainment Weekly.
She acknowledged that the pair had their differences on set, saying the two actresses had “a complicated relationship”.
Source: Getty Images via Entertainment Weekly on Facebook
However, she still “deeply respected” and “was in awe of” Doherty, Milano said, adding:
The world is less without her.
Also read: ‘The Shining’ actress Shelley Duvall dies aged 75 from health complications
‘The Shining’ actress Shelley Duvall dies aged 75 from health complications
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Featured image adapted from Kase Upton on Facebook and Brendan Wallace on Facebook.
