Beverly Hills 90210 star Shannen Doherty and Heathersdied at the age of 53.
According to a statement from her publicist, Leslie Sloane, quoted by People magazine, “It is with heavy hearts 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.”
The actress was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015 and underwent a mastectomy. In 2020, she said her diagnosis was then terminal, calling it a “bitter pill to swallow” in a Interview with Good Morning America.
In June 2023, Doherty shared an Instagram post She revealed that the cancer had spread to her brain, alongside a video of herself receiving treatment. “My fear is obvious,” she wrote.
Doherty began working at a young age with small screen roles in Father Murphy and Little House on the Prairie and big screen roles in The Secret of NIMH and Girls Just Want to Have Fun, all before the age of 15.
In 1988, Doherty starred in the dark comedy Heathers alongside Winona Ryder. Although it was not a financial success at the time, the film achieved cult status, widely regarded as one of the best high school movies of all time. She later made a cameo appearance in the pilot of a television adaptation.
Two years later, Doherty found success playing Brenda Walsh on the teen drama series Beverly Hills 90210, which averaged over 21 million viewers in its fourth season. “We get hit on in malls,” Doherty said of the show’s success in 1992“It basically takes over your life.”
Doherty left before season five but later returned for the 2008 reboot and 2019’s meta BH90210, where she played herself.
She also found great success in the witchcraft television series Charmed, in which she starred for three seasons. She also directed a number of episodes. Her film roles include Mallrats and Jay and Bob Strike Back for filmmaker Kevin Smith.
When Doherty shared his final update in June 2023, Smith wrote, “You’ve been such a brave fighter your whole life, so it’s understandable to be a little scared from time to time. But when those moments pass, let Doherty’s indomitable spirit take over once again. I love you so much, my Mallrat.”
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Doherty has often been portrayed as a troublemaker in the press, with People magazine once doing so. referrer for her the “iconic bad girl of Hollywood in the 90s.” Addressing her reputation in 1992, Doherty pushed back about being difficult.
“If you think it’s hard to be a strong woman who stands up for herself, yes, I accept that,” she said. “I’m open to different ideas, but if you turn your back on me and don’t listen to me and treat me with the same respect that you would treat a man, you have a problem.”
In 2010, Doherty address “I have a reputation. Did I earn it? Yes, I earned it. But after a while, you try to get rid of that reputation because you are a different person. You have evolved and all the bad things you have done in your life have brought you to a much better place.”