The actress from “Beverly Hills, 90210” was 53

Shannen Doherty has died after years of living with cancer, PEOPLE confirmed. She was 53 years old.

“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 battling the disease,” Doherty’s longtime publicist Leslie Sloane confirmed in an exclusive statement to PEOPLE on Sunday, July 14.

“The devoted daughter, sister, aunt and friend was surrounded by her loved ones and her dog, Bowie. The family requests privacy so she can grieve in peace,” Sloane continued.

The Beverly Hills 90210 The star was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015, and in November 2023, she spoke openly with PEOPLE about her stage 4 breast cancer, which had since spread to her bones, saying at the time that she “didn’t want to die.”

“I’m not done living. I’m not done loving. I’m not done creating. I’m not done hopefully changing things for the better,” she told PEOPLE. “I’m just not — I’m not done.”

After her diagnosis in 2015, the actress announced less than two years later in April 2017 that she had gone into remission, but the cancer returned in 2019. Doherty publicly announced her diagnosis of stage four metastatic cancer in 2020. Then, in June 2023, the actress shared that the cancer had spread to her brain and she had undergone surgery.

Doherty posted a candid and emotional message on Instagram on June 6, 2023, that the cancer had spread to her brain. Later that month, she wrote in another post that she had undergone surgery in January 2023—describing the fear she felt before the procedure as “overwhelming”—to remove a brain tumor she had named Bob.

“It had to be removed and dissected to see its pathology,” she told PEOPLE in November 2023. “It was definitely one of the scariest things I’ve ever experienced in my entire life.”

Nevertheless, the actress was determined to continue working as she lived with the disease.

“People just assume that means you can’t walk, you can’t eat, you can’t work. They put you out to pasture at a very young age – ‘you’re done, you’re retired’, but that’s not us,” she said, adding: “We’re full of energy and have a very different outlook on life. We’re people who want to work and enjoy life and keep going.”

In fact, before her death, Doherty wanted to raise funds and awareness for cancer research – and at the same time show others that even people like her who are terminally ill with cancer can make a big difference.

“When you ask yourself, ‘Why me? Why did I get cancer?’ and then ‘Why did my cancer come back? Why am I at stage 4?’ it leads you to search for the greater meaning of life,” she said.

Her candid comments echoed her words from a 2020 interview with Amy Robach that aired Good morning Americain which she was equally pragmatic.

“I definitely have days where I ask myself, ‘Why me?'” Doherty told Robach about the evolution of her health at the time. “And then I think, ‘Why not me? Who else? Who else deserves this besides me?’ None of us deserve this.”

In this interview with Robach, Doherty revealed for the first time that her stage four breast cancer had returned after previously going into remission.

“In a few days or a week, it will turn out that I am stage 4. So my cancer has returned and that is why I am here,” Doherty said on Good morning America“I don’t think I’ve processed it. It’s a bitter pill to swallow in many ways.”

Although she was praised for speaking openly about her life with cancer later in life, Doherty rose to fame as Brenda Walsh in the original series Beverly Hills, 90210which premiered in October 1990.

The actress left the series after the fourth season in 1994. (She later reappeared in the role in the 2008 reboot, with several guest appearances. 90210.)

After her Beverly Hills Fame, Doherty was cast in Charmed as Prue Halliwell, the eldest of three sisters who are witches. In addition to starring in the series, she also directed several episodes. She left the show at the end of the third season in 2001.

Doherty worked steadily throughout her career and even ventured into reality TV with the short-lived No more Shannen Doherty and as a candidate on Dancing with the stars.

In 2019, she signed a contract for the TV reboot of Beverly Hills, 90210and once again plays an adult version of the character that made her famous.

Although the actress said she was aware of her terminal cancer diagnosis, she kept it a secret from the cast following the unexpected death of her co-star Luke Perry in March 2019 at the age of 52.

“It’s so strange for me to get the diagnosis and then someone who, you know, was seemingly healthy to get it first,” Doherty said on Good morning America in 2020. “It was really shocking.”

Doherty said participating in the revival of the TV series, which aired on Fox, was “the least I could do” to honor Perry – and it was also an opportunity to prove that she could continue working despite her health.

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“One of the reasons why I, along with Luke, 90210 and I didn’t tell anyone because I thought people could see it that way because people with stage 4 can work too,” she explained.

Her strength was recognized by her fellow actors on the show, with Brian Austin Green speaking highly of her to PEOPLE.

“Shannen leads by example and shows people that even in the most difficult times, you can keep your head up and be a good person,” said Austin Green. “And she is: She is an amazing person and an inspiration.”

Most poignantly, in her 2023 PEOPLE interview, Doherty spoke about her love of life, her gratitude to be able to wake up and spend time with her family, friends and dog, and her hopeful attitude for the future.

“My best memory is yet to come,” she told PEOPLE. “I pray. I wake up and go to bed thanking God and praying for the things that are important to me without asking for too much. It connects me to a higher power and spirituality. My faith is my mantra.”

She said that cancer had increased her awareness of life and the world around her.

“I know it sounds cheesy and crazy, but you’re just more aware of everything and feel so blessed. We’re the people who want to work the most because we’re just so grateful for every second, every hour, every day that we get to be here.”

An early draft of this article was written by Jodi Guglielmi and Aili Nahas.