Charmed star Shannen Doherty dies, aged 53
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Beloved actress Shannen Doherty, known for her roles in Charmed and Beverly Hills 90210, has passed away at the age of 53.
The actor from America passed away from breast cancer on Saturday (13 July) after being told about the illness in 2015.
"Sadly, I must announce the death of actress Shannen Doherty," shared her publicist, Leslie Sloane, in a statement detailing the circumstances of her passing.
"The loyal family member who was a daughter, sister, aunt, and friend had her loved ones and her dog, Bowie, by her side," Sloane stated to People. "The family requests privacy during this time to mourn in solitude."
Doherty's cancer was in remission in 2017, but in February 2020, she announced that the cancer had come back and was now in stage four.
In June 2023, the actress posted a video showing her undergoing radiation therapy for her brain, disclosing that her cancer had moved to her brain.
After five months, Doherty updated her followers that the cancer had spread to her bones. She reassured them that she will continue to battle the illness with treatment because she still has a lot of life left to live.
Doherty's career took off at the age of 11 when she was chosen to star in the short-lived show Little House on the Prairie in 1982, where she portrayed the character Jenny Wilder.
In that year, she provided the voice for a character in the animated movie The Secret of NIMH. In the following years, she starred alongside Helen Hunt and Sarah Jessica Parker in Girls Just Want to Have Fun and Reese Witherspoon in the family drama series Our House.
Following her appearance in the 1988 cult classic Heathers, Doherty quickly became a worldwide sensation when she landed the role of Brenda Walsh in the popular teen drama Beverly Hills, 90210. In the show, Brenda and her brother Brandon (played by Jason Priestley) were portrayed as the central characters, navigating their way through the ups and downs of teenage life after relocating from Minnesota to California.
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Other actors in the show included Tori Spelling and Brian Austin Green. Luke Perry, who passed away from a stroke in 2019, also had a role in the drama. Doherty admitted that she briefly dated Green after she left the series.
Doherty left the show after four seasons in 1994 and, in 2008, was chosen to be part of a new version made by The CW. It was said that Doherty earned as much as $50,000 for each episode she appeared in, totaling seven episodes.
Yet another significant role for the actor was as Prue Halliwell in Charmed, a TV show created by Aaron Spelling, the producer behind Beverly Hills, 90210. The show centered around three sisters with magical powers.
It was said that Doherty left the show after three seasons because of conflicts with her co-star Milano behind the scenes.
In February of 2024, their fellow actor Holly Marie Combs stated that Doherty was let go from the show because Milano gave producers a final demand, but Milano says this did not happen.
"I am deeply disappointed that a show that was so meaningful to countless individuals has been overshadowed by negative behavior that continues to persist even after almost twenty-five years," Milano expressed. She further stated, "It saddens me that some individuals are unable to let go of the past and simply appreciate the achievements of a show that held great significance for all of us."
Nevertheless, Doherty emphasized that, considering her health problems, "it is also exceptionally vital to me that the reality is accurately shared rather than the story that others create about me."
In the 1990s, Doherty was often in the news for her rumored behavior outside of her acting roles. In 2010, she spoke about these rumors, saying, "I have a reputation. Did I deserve it? Yes, I did. But over time, you try to move past that reputation because you have changed as a person. You have grown and learned from the mistakes you made in the past, leading you to a better place."
Doherty was briefly married to Sunset Beach actor Ashely Hamilton in 1993 and had a short marriage to Rick Salomon in 2002. Salomon, who is known for his skills in high-stakes poker, later married Pamela Anderson twice, with each marriage lasting just one year.
When Doherty passed away, she was in the midst of ending her marriage to her husband of 11 years, photographer Kurt Iswarienko.
At the beginning of the year, Doherty revealed a surprising update about her health, talking about a innovative treatment that she believed was like a divine intervention.
During an episode of her podcast Let’s Be Clear, she informed her audience that she had started a new cancer treatment. After undergoing four sessions without any noticeable improvements, her medical team suggested switching to a different approach. However, she decided to stick with the current treatment plan and continued with it. Eventually, after the sixth or seventh session, they observed a significant breakthrough in breaking down the blood-brain barrier.
