Every fan of ’90s television, who remained glued to their screens to catch new episodes of Beverly Hills 90210, The Secret\ of Lost Creek, Charmed, etc, has been heartbroken by the news of icon Shannen Doherty’s death at 53. On Sunday, news of the film and television star’s death broke, leaving the industry and her fans devasted.
Doherty made a name for herself in some of the most popular properties of the era. Breaking out as Brenda in the long-running teen drama, Beverly Hills 90210, she went on to cast a spell on viewers on The WB’s witchy series, Charmed. She reached this iconic status with shows that have inspired love and devotion, and continue the streak even decades after their original run.
Both Beverly Hills and Charmed have been rebooted after their heyday, but none can compare to the originals. Doherty was a force in the industry, earning a reputation for being difficult on set. It is only in recent years with further context that fans understood that the actress was a performer with integrity who stood up for herself in a predatory industry.
How did Shannen Doherty die?
Doherty’s publicist, Leslie Sloane announced this sad turn of events to People in a heartfelt statement.
“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.”
Doherty was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015. At the time she had a diagnosis of Stage 4 cancer, which People reported had spread to her bones. The actor elected to have a mastectomy and chemotherapy to treat the disease. For the past decade, the Charmed star has been adamant about refusing to allow herself to be defined by her circumstances. Instead, she used her reality to bring more attention to the worldwide fight with cancer and continued to create in the entertainment sphere. Doherty was an inspiring figure in entertainment and has left an impressive legacy, one that won’t be extinguished by her absence.
