BREAKING: Shannen Doherty dies at 53 from breast cancer

Actress Shannen Doherty died on Sunday at the age of 53. She struggled against breast cancer for years and recently spoke about a new course of chemotherapy in June. Speaking on her Let's Be Pod in June, she spoke about the hope she had for the potential success of "new protocols" for her treatment. 

Doherty was perhaps best known for her role as Brenda Walsh on the 1990s teen hit Beverly Hills 90210, but one of her first roles was as Jenny Wilder on Little House on the Prairie. She later played Prue Halliwell on the show Charmed, a series in which she also directed a several episodes. Doherty had a recurring role on Our House with Wilfred Brimley and played one of the iconic Heathers in the teen drama of the same name. She starred opposite Winona Ryder and Christian Slater.

"I have no idea how long I'm going to be on the chemo for," she said in an Instagram post in June. "I have no idea if it's gonna be three months or if it's gonna be six months of if we're gonna, y'know, if after three months it's not working we're gonna change again. Like, I know really, that's not something I can predict, it's not something my doctors can predict. And it's scary, it's like a big wake-up call." Doherty was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015. It went into remission in 2017, but came back in 2019, having spread.

She then spoke of the hope she had for the treatments. "At the same time, I gotta say, there is some positivity there, and the positivity is that because my molecular structure of my cancer cells changed, recently, it means that there's a lot more protocols for me to try. So, for the first time, in a couple months probably, I feel hopeful because there are so many more protocols now, where before I was hopeful but I was still getting prepared." It was just two years ago in June 2023 that Doherty revealed the cancer had spread to her brain. 

"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," said her publicist Leslie Sloane on Sunday.

"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," Sloane continued. 

Her role as Brenda on 90210 saw her star opposite Jason Priestly, Jenny Garth, Tori Spelling, and Luke Perry, who played her brother, best friend, rival, and love interest on the show. The series tracked the Walsh family, who moved from their midwestern home to Beverly Hills and had to adapt to new life, culture, and expectations. Doherty's character lost her virginity on the show, and in one episode found a lump in her breast, asking her mom to take her to a doctor to get checked out. 

Controversy surrounded Doherty's career, mostly due to gossip from fellow cast members saying that she was difficult to work with. This emerged both from the 90210 set and from Charmed, and she left both seasons before they came to an end. Charmed was about three sisters who discover that they are descended from a long line of witches. Doherty starred opposite Alyssa Milano and Holly Marie Combs. She was married three times, to Ashely Hamilton, Rick Salomon and Kurt Iswarienko, but was divorced at the time of her death.