Shannen Doherty, 'Beverly Hills, 90210' star, dies at 53 after battle with cancer; co-stars pay tribute

Shannen Doherty, the ‘Beverly Hills, 90210’ star, has died at 53 after battling breast cancer for years. According to her publicist, Leslie Sloane, Doherty passed away on July 13.

‘The devoted daughter, sister, aunt, and friend was surrounded by her loved ones and her dog, Bowie. The family requests privacy to grieve in peace,’ Sloane stated on July 14.

Stars pay tribute

Jennie Garth and Tori Spelling, stars of ‘Beverly Hills, 90210’, are paying tribute to Shannen Doherty following her passing from cancer at age 53.

Garth, known for her role as Kelly Taylor in the series, shared two throwback photos of herself with Doherty from the iconic 1990s drama. She mentioned she is still coming to terms with the news.

She continued to reflect on Doherty as ‘brave, passionate, resolute, and incredibly loving and generous.’

More about Doherty

Her illness was publicly revealed in a 2015 lawsuit against her former business managers, alleging they mismanaged her money and let her health insurance lapse. She later shared intimate details of her treatment, including a single mastectomy. In December 2016, she posted a photo of her first day of radiation, describing the treatment as ‘frightening.’

In February 2020, Doherty revealed that her cancer had returned and was at stage four. She disclosed her condition because it might come out in court, as she was suing State Farm after her California home was damaged in a 2018 fire.

‘I have no idea how long I’m going to be on the chemo for. … That’s not something that I can predict, it’s not something my doctors can predict. And it’s scary, it’s like a big wake-up call,’ Doherty said on a late June episode of her podcast ‘Let’s Be Clear,’ adding that a recent change in the shape of her cancer cells meant there were new treatment protocols for her to try.

‘For the first time in a couple months probably, I feel hopeful because there are so many more protocols now, whereas before I was hopeful — but I was still getting prepared,’ she added.

A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Doherty moved to Los Angeles with her family at age 7 and, within a few years, became an actor.

As a child star, Shannen Doherty worked steadily in TV series like 'Little House on the Prairie,' where she played Jenny Wilder. As a teenager, she transitioned to the big screen with roles in ‘Girls Just Want to Have Fun’ (1985) and ‘Heathers.’

In 1990, she landed her breakout role as Brenda Walsh in Aaron Spelling’s hit series "Beverly Hills, 90210." She and Jason Priestley's character, Brandon, were twin siblings from the Midwest adjusting to life in posh Beverly Hills.

However, Doherty's fame was accompanied by media scrutiny and reports of outbursts, drinking, and impulsiveness, including a brief 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, but filed for divorce in April 2023.

Doherty left ‘Beverly Hills, 90210’ at the end of its fourth season in 1994, reportedly due to conflicts with co-stars and chronic lateness, although the show continued until 2000.

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