Shannen Doherty, Beverly Hills, 90210 Actor, Dead At 53

Shannen Doherty, the star of iconic TV shows such as "Beverly Hills, 90210" and "Charmed," has died. People confirmed that Doherty "lost her battle with cancer" on July 13 at the age of 53. Doherty had been on her self-professed best efforts "to squeeze out another three to five years," as she told the outlet, so she could see what new medical breakthroughs the future would bring.

Doherty was first diagnosed with breast cancer in February 2015. The actor underwent a single mastectomy in May 2016 but told ET in August of that year that her cancer had spread to her lymph nodes. What's more, she revealed, "From one of my surgeries we discovered that some of the cancer cells might have actually gone out of the lymph nodes." Doherty underwent chemotherapy and radiation, and in April 2017, she announced she was in remission. Despite being elated, Doherty was also cautious. "The next five years is crucial," she wrote on Instagram. "Recurrences happen all the time."

In February 2020, Doherty revealed she had a recurrence and had been secretly dealing with stage 4 breast cancer for almost a year. "It's a bitter pill to swallow in a lot of ways," she told Good Morning America. Sadly, the cancer began to spread in 2023, first to her brain and then to her bones. "I don't want to die," she told People that November, noting she wasn't done acting, loving, and helping in the search for a cure.

Shannen Doherty made it her mission to raise awareness and funds for cancer research. In November 2023, she vowed to People that she wasn't about to give up on herself or her newfound goal to help find a cure. However, the actor was also aware that her diagnosis was terminal and didn't shy away from speaking about her funerary wishes. 

During a January 2024 episode of her podcast, "Let's Be Clear with Shannen Doherty," Doherty was joined by her best friend, Chris Cortazzo, who was also designated executor of her will. When Cortazzo asked what she wanted him to plan for her funeral, she didn't miss a beat, saying, "There's a lot of people that I think would show up that I don't want there." Doherty explained that she could envision some folks attending because "it's the politically correct thing to do" and hoped they wouldn't. She then proved that her sense of humor was still intact. "I want my funeral to be like a love fest," she said, quipping, "I don't want people ... to privately be like, 'Thank God that b***h is dead now.'"

Doherty also revealed she wanted to be cremated and planned to have her ashes mixed with both her father's and her dog's ashes. She was also exploring the idea of either having a tree grow from the ashes or being scattered by Cortazzo. "I have to find a place that my dad and I both really loved and it meant a lot to us," she mused.