Shannen Doherty, star of “Beverly Hills, 90210” and “Charmed,” dies at 53

CNN
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Shannen Doherty, an actress who starred in the popular series “Beverly Hills, 90210” and “Charmed” and documented her nine-year battle with breast cancer, has died, according to her longtime publicist.

She was 53.

“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 battling the disease for many years,” Doherty’s spokeswoman Leslie Sloane said in a statement to CNN.

“The devoted daughter, sister, aunt and friend was surrounded by her loved ones and her dog, Bowie. The family asks for privacy so they can grieve in peace,” their statement continued.

The news was first reported by People magazine.

Doherty developed a loyal fan base with roles as Heather Duke in the 1989 cult classic “Heathers”, as Brenda Walsh from 1990 to 1994 in the hit series “Beverly Hills, 90210” and the subsequent spin-off “90210”, and as Prue Halliwell in “Charmed” from 1998 to 2001.

Doherty was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015, which went into remission two years later. In 2020, Doherty announced that the cancer had returned, spread, and was in stage 4.

In June 2023, she announced that her cancer had spread to her brain.

Doherty documented her experience with cancer in her podcast “Let’s Be Clear with Shannen Doherty.” The latest episode streamed on July 8.

Doherty had spoken openly about her life with cancer, despite knowing that the disease was incurable, and she maintained this attitude when she spoke about her plans for the future.

“I think I’m in the mindset now that I need to make as much money as I can over the next two years, put it in the bank, put it in my investment fund and build it up so that A. I don’t have to work and only work when I really want to,” she said this month. “I can also take a lot more vacations. And when I die, my mom will have a nice little nest egg and I won’t have to worry about her.”

Doherty was born in Memphis, Tennessee. Her family moved to Los Angeles when she was a child, and she quickly caught the acting bug.

She made her acting debut at the age of ten with a role in the television series “Father Murphy”.

Her performance caught the attention of legendary actor Michael Landon and she landed the role of Jenny Wilder in his popular series Little House on the Prairie.

Doherty honed her craft in various projects, including the series “Our House,” the 1985 film “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” and the 1988 black teen comedy “Heathers.”

She used her experience as a child star for her biggest role to date as spirited high school student Brenda in the hugely popular teen drama “Beverly Hills, 90210” with Aaron Spelling.

This role, in which she shone on screen alongside her co-star Luke Perry in the role of her lover Dylan McKay, made her a household name.

Doherty left the show after four seasons following reports of tension on set between her and some of her fellow actors.

She returned to the screen in 1994 in “Almost Dead” and in 1995 in “Mallrats”.

Three years later, Doherty worked with Spelling again for the series “Charmed,” in which she played three witch sisters alongside her co-stars Alyssa Milano and Holly Marie Combs.

She left her role as Prue Halliwell in that series after three years and found work again in various films, including “The Rendering” in 2002 and “View of Terror” in 2003.

In 2008, Doherty reprised the role of Brenda Walsh in the CW reboot “90210” for seven episodes.

She later played herself in the meta reboot BH90210 in 2019, the same year she made a cameo appearance as a stranded driver in the CW’s Riverdale, which Perry also starred in. He died in March 2019 at the age of 52 from complications of a stroke.

In September 2020, Doherty spoke to Elle Magazine about the feelings of gratitude that have been central to her experience with cancer.

“I try to appreciate all the little moments that most people don’t really notice or take for granted,” she said. “The little things are bigger to me. We have this endless well inside of us, and it’s just about continuing to dig into that well to have the strength to face adversity — and so we can see all the beauty, too.”

This story has been updated. CNN’s Nadeem Muaddi contributed to this report.