Sarah Michelle Gellar and Rose McGowan lead tributes to “force of nature” Shannen Doherty

15 July, 2024

Shannen Doherty

Tributes have been coming in from friends and colleagues of the late actress Shannen Doherty, who passed away over the weekend.

The Charmed, Heathers and Beverly Hills, 90210 star died on Saturday (July 13) at the age of 53 after a nine-year battle with breast cancer.

“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,” announced Doherty’s longtime publicist Leslie Sloane.

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

Buffy The Vampire Slayer star Sarah Michelle Gellar was a close friend of Doherty’s and shared a heartfelt message on her Instagram.

“How do you possibly find the right words to sum up 30 years of friendship?” she wrote. “I keep reminding myself it only hurts this much because, there was so much love. Thank you, for all your kind words and support.”

“So let’s honor her. More than anything, Shan loves animals, especially dogs. In her memory let’s support our favorite animal charities. Whether that’s donating money, stopping by your local shelter and just offering cuddles and walks to animals housed there or even just tagging them in the comments so other people can learn about their work. I know that would make our girl happy (and illicit that deep throaty laugh we all loved).”

Doherty’s breakout role came in 1990 with TV drama Beverly Hills, 90210, which saw her take on a lead role alongside Jason Priestley where they played a pair of teen twins who move with their parents to California.

Priestley was another to share a tribute to Doherty, saying he was “shocked and saddened to hear about the passing of my friend Shannen.”

“She was a force of nature and I will miss her. Sending love and light to her family in this dark time.”

Doherty’s Charmed co-star Rose McGowan wrote: “Shannen Doherty had the heart of a lion. My head bows to this warrior on her journey home. Her intense will to live places in her in the hall of legends. Forever our sister.”

See some other tributes to Doherty below:

Doherty’s cancer diagnosis was first revealed in 2015. Two years later, she said that, after an initial phase of remission, the breast cancer had returned.

Last month, Doherty revealed on her podcast ‘Let’s Be Clear’ that she was to undergo surgery and start a new treatment protocol after she was told by doctors in 2023 that her regular treatment had stopped working.

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