Shannen Doherty
Shannen Doherty, known for her roles in Beverly Hills, 90210 and Charmed, has died at the age of 53.
The American actress was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015. In December 2016, she shared a photograph of her first day of radiotherapy, describing the treatment as “frightening.” In February 2020, Doherty revealed that her cancer had returned and was at stage four, the most advanced stage of the disease. Last year, she underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor and disclosed that the cancer had spread to her bones.
“It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the passing of actress Shannen Doherty,” said Doherty’s publicist, Leslie Sloane, to Sky News. “On Saturday, July 13, she lost her battle with cancer after many years of fighting the disease. She was surrounded by her loved ones and her dog, Bowie.”
Doherty became widely known for her portrayal of Brenda Walsh in Beverly Hills, 90210, a role she began in 1990. Brenda was a student from Minnesota trying to fit in with her classmates in the wealthy LA neighborhood. Doherty left the show during its fourth season in 1994.
In 1998, Aaron Spelling, who produced 90210, cast Doherty in Charmed, a supernatural series where she played Prue Halliwell, the eldest of three sisters with magical abilities. Despite the show’s success, there were reports of behind-the-scenes conflicts.
Doherty had a reputation as the “iconic ‘bad girl’ of the 90s,” according to People magazine. She was known for her partying, arriving late on set, and feuding with bosses and co-stars. In 1997, Doherty was sentenced to anger-management counseling after allegedly smashing a beer bottle on a man’s windshield during an argument. In 2001, she pleaded no contest to drunk driving charges and was ordered to serve five days in a work-release program.
Last year, in her podcast Let’s Be Clear with Shannen Doherty, she took “full responsibility for her actions,” admitting that she “got a little carried away” at nightclubs in her early 20s. Doherty also mentioned that she often spoke up when she thought a script needed work. “I was raised to have an opinion, and that my opinion should be valued,” she said. However, she learned “the simple art of diplomacy” and realized there “might be a nicer way to say some things.”
Aaron Spelling, who passed away in 2006, once said they had “a few bumps along the road, but golly, who doesn’t?” He added, “Everything Shannen did was blown out of proportion by the rag sheets.”
Doherty reprised her role as Brenda in reboots of 90210 in 2008 and 2019. Born in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1971, she began acting as a child and moved to Los Angeles with her family when she was seven. At age 11, she played Jenny Wilder in the final season of Little House on the Prairie. In a 1994 interview, Doherty said acting was “completely my decision. My parents never pushed me into anything. They support me. It really wouldn’t matter if I was a professional soccer player—they’d still be as supportive and loving.”
Doherty was married three times, most recently to photographer Kurt Iswarienko, from whom she filed for divorce last year.