Shannen Doherty wasn't afraid of death, but she was not done with living.

Shannen Doherty wasn't afraid of death because she knew where she was going and "the people I am going to see," she told People just seven months ago. 

The 90210 actor died over the weekend after a years-long battle with cancer.

She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015, publically sharing about her treatment of the disease, which recurred in 2019 as metastatic Stage 4. In 2023, she had a brain tumour removed and revealed that the cancer had spread to her bones.

"I think I would be afraid of death if I wasn't a good person, but I am," she told People but added, "I am not done with life, I am not done with living. I am not done with loving, I am not done with creating."

Her publicist confirmed the news of her death in a statement given to People magazine, which read, "It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the passing of actress Shannen Doherty. On Saturday, July 13, she lost her battle with cancer after many years of fighting the disease."

The 53-year-old was best known for portraying Brenda Walsh on the hit 1990s TV show Beverley Hills, 90210.

Her character was an honour roll student from Minnesota who struggled to fit in with her classmates in the wealthy zip code, getting herself into a love triangle with Dylan McKay (Luke Perry) and Kelly Taylor (Jennie Garth). 

Doherty (front right in blue) with the cast of 90210. Image: Mikel Roberts/Getty.

In real life, Doherty clashed with Garth and other cast mates and left 90210 during its fourth season in 1994. The show continued through 2000 without her.

In 1998, she starred as Prue (the oldest of three sisters with magical abilities) in Charmed.

While the show was a hit, it too was subject to reports of behind-the-scenes turmoil, with People calling Doherty "the iconic 'bad girl' of the nineties," citing her reputation for partying, turning up late on sets and feuding with actors - and her bosses.

Doherty (middle) with Alyssa Milano (left) and Holly Marie Combs (right) in Charmed. Image: Getty.

She addressed the controversy on her podcast Let's Be Clear with Shannen Doherty in 2023, taking "full responsibility for her actions" and acknowledging her behaviour "would get a little carried away" when she was frequenting nightclubs in her early 20s.

But she also pointed out that she simply spoke up more than other women in show-biz at the time.

"I was raised to have an opinion, and that my opinion should be valued, so I just kept on pressing up against that machine, up against men who didn't really want to hear my opinion," she said on the podcast.

Later, "I learned the simple art of diplomacy. I learned that there might be a nicer way to say some things," she said.

Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Doherty began acting as a child, playing Jenny Wilder in the final season of TV classic Little House on the Prairie which she recently told her podcast "is still the best experience of my entire career...Little House shaped me in so many ways." 

After the success of Charmed and 90210, Doherty continued to star in a wide range of TV shows and movies showing her versatility as an actor, with her prolific career spanning four decades. Most recently, she appeared in Darkness of Man released this year.

Doherty was married three times, most recently to photographer Kurt Iswarienko for 14 years. She filed for divorce from him in 2023 citing irreconcilable differences, sharing on her podcast that she found out he'd been having a two-year affair with his agent. 

Doherty and Iswarienko in 2009. Image: Charley Gallay/Getty.

She spoke of how she became "obsessed" with finding out the truth and felt "embarrassed" by the whole thing. 

She was previously married to Rick Salomon from 2002 to 2003 and Ashley Hamilton from 1993 to 1994. 

In 2023, she was upbeat and hopeful about her future love-life, telling People, "I don’t think I’m going to be single forever. I have to love myself and reckon with the past, really, before I can move forward, and now I’m pretty sure I’ll meet somebody - hopefully soon."

Doherty and Rick Salomon. Image: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty.

Doherty and Ashley Hamilton. Image: Vinnie Zuffante/Getty.

Doherty never had children despite telling her podcast recently she had been "desperately" trying to get pregnant with Iswarienko in 2019 before she had a cancer relapse. 

"I think I would love nothing more than to be a mom...I always wanted it," she said.

She did many rounds of IVF, but eventually stopped because of menopause and her ongoing health battle. But her desire never quelled, and she admitted to "biding her time." 

"I look at kids who don't have parents at all, and I think if I adopt a child or whatever it is, any amount of time is better than nothing. Maybe. I don't know," she said.

Doherty has been very open about her cancer treatment, diagnosis and her feelings towards the experience, regularly sharing videos and photos of her recovery and surgeries on Instagram. 

Doherty shared this photo on Instagram in March after her brain surgery earlier this year to remove a tumour. 

Just three weeks ago on her podcast she spoke about how she was going on a new chemo drug, choking back tears as she spoke of how "scared" she was. 

But she was also hopeful because her cancer cells had changed.

"For the first time in a couple of months, probably, I feel hopeful. Because there are so many more protocols now. Whereas before, I was hopeful - but I was still getting prepared." 

In interviews, Doherty was keen to reiterate that cancer wasn't stopping her from living her life. 

"People don't know a lot about cancer. I think they just assume that it means you can't walk, you can't eat, you can't work. People put you out to pasture at a very early age. You're done, you're retired....and we're not! 

"We're vibrant. We have such a different outlook on life. We're just so grateful for every second, every hour, every day that we get to be here," she told People. 

Doherty is survived by her mother, Rosa, and her brother, Sean. 

While most will remember her for her time on 90210 and Charmed, those who followed her in recent years saw a new side of Doherty; ever-honest and open about her journey through life, and forever hopeful of her chance to keep living it. 

Feature image: Getty.

Read more on Shannen Doherty: 

• Shannen Doherty has passed away after battling cancer for 9 years, aged 53.
• Shannen Doherty battled cancer for 9 years before her death. Her ex-husband made her suffer until the end.
• Shannen Doherty says Alyssa Milano 'blocked' her visits when Holly Marie Combs was in hospital.
• Shannen Doherty was divorcing her husband of 11 years. She felt she was 'left with no other option'.

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