Ex-‘90210’ Castmate Gives Update On Shannen Doherty As She Continues 'Overwhelming' Cancer Fight

Sep 14, 2023 by apost team

Actress Shannen Doherty is best known for her long-running acting career, with her most notable roles in "Beverly Hills, 90210" and "Charmed," among other TV shows and movies. In fact, Doherty has acted since she was a child and was even lucky enough to work with the acclaimed actor Michael Landon for her first few acting roles.

Her first role was on the show "Father Murphy" before Landon cast her in another show of his, "Little House: A New Beginning," which was a spin-off of "Little House on the Prairie." Doherty posted a throwback photo of herself to Instagram in June 2021 and revealed a bit about those roles. She wrote in the caption:

"Father Murphy. My first job with the amazing Michael Landon producing. ... Michael soon after cast me in Little House New Beginnings where I had the privilege of him directing me many times. #buckteeth"

But whichever period of her career you might know, Doherty has most recently been in the press due to her ongoing battle with cancer. After she was initially diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015, Doherty went into remission for two years, but sadly, the cancer returned. She revealed on "Good Morning America" in February 2020 that she had not "processed it" and that it was "a bitter pill to swallow."

In an exclusive interview with Entertainment Tonight in December 2021, the actress spoke about her dreams for 2022, which included "progression" in finding a cure for the disease. She also said she was "doing well" and hoped to continue acting in the coming year.

However, in June 2023, the actress sadly revealed that cancer had spread to her brain. Her famous friends continue to rally around her, including one familiar face from her past.

The return of Doherty's cancer was discovered after she went to get back pain checked in 2020, according to ELLE. The cancer was found to have spread to her spine. But despite being at stage four, Doherty never gave up hope. In fact, she proved in the years since how much she's willing to fight, and she hasn't been afraid to share her story with the public. 

In an interview with ET in December 2021, Doherty spoke further about her ongoing battle and what she wished for the year ahead. She said:

"If I were dreaming of what would happen in 2022, I think lot more research and progression as far as finding the cure for cancer is my ultimate, ultimate dream because even though I am thriving and I'm doing well, I still have cancer and you don't want stage four."

She continued, as she explained how that motivated her to help raise awareness in a bid to find a cure:

"But I have it and so I think in the back of my mind, this constant sort of OK, 'What can I do to help bring more awareness, what can I do the help raise money, what can I do to sort of push research for not just myself but for everybody else who is suffering from cancer?"'

While progress in finding a cure for cancer is Doherty's ultimate dream, the actress also spoke about more realistic goals she had for herself, which included continuing to act, something she hasn't slowed down doing despite her diagnosis.

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Doherty told ET: 

"Realistically, I hope that my health just continues to be stable and that I continue the relationships with my husband and my mom and my friends and I hope their work continues to grow and it only gets better."

The actress had still been acting, notably in the movie "Fortress," and announced she didn't plan on slowing down anytime soon. She said in the interview:

"I just I hope that next year, work-wise continues. I hope I continue to get these opportunities and that I continue to work with people that I've always admired and wanted to work with."

Beyond her work on "Fortress," in which she co-starred with Bruce Willis, Doherty also filmed a number of movies that year, including one with Mel Gibson and a Lifetime movie titled "List of a Lifetime." The latter even earned her a Critics Choice Award nomination. She told the news outlet:

"I'm doing great and I feel great. I I feel really blessed, this year's been kind of an interesting year for me because work is so important to me and especially as somebody with cancer, you want to constantly put it out there that you know you're so hirable, you're so employable and that oftentimes for people like myself, it's the work that helps drive us."

She added:

"It's the work that I wake up in the morning so excited to go create, and do my job, which is a job that I actually love, and this year's just been phenomenal. I've done a lot of work, a movie that I did for Lifetime called List of Lifetime just got nominated this morning for a Critics Choice Award, so that's pretty special." 

Doherty appeared to be doing well despite the cancer’s return, but the actress updated her fans with tragic news in June 2023. In a series of Instagram posts, the actress revealed that in January 2023, a CT scan confirmed the cancer had spread to her brain. In one video, she was seen being fitted for a mask “which you wear during radiation to your brain.” A second video showed a close-up of her face as she underwent another procedure, with tears streaming down from her eyes. The caption read:

"January 12, the first round of radiation took place. My fear is obvious. I am extremely claustrophobic and there was a lot going on in my life. I am fortunate as I have great doctors like Dr Amin Mirahdi and the amazing techs at cedar sinai. But that fear…. The turmoil….. the timing of it all…. This is what cancer can look like."

Doherty posted another video a few days later that showed her in a hospital bed as she spoke to medical staff about an impending surgical procedure for a “tumor in my head they wanted to remove and also biopsy.” As the staff asked Doherty questions, the star responded in a calm manner. However, she confessed in the caption that she was feeling anything but.

“I am clearly trying to be brave but I am petrified. The fear was overwhelming to me. Scared of all possible bad outcomes, worried about leaving my mom and how that would impact her. Worried that I would come out of surgery not me anymore,” she wrote, and again added, “This is what cancer can look like.”

Doherty hasn't held back in being transparent with her fans about her cancer journey, which has been confronting and heartbreaking to witness. Celebrity friends of the actress rallied behind her in support, including Sarah Michelle Gellar, Selma Blair, Harry Connick Jr. and Marcia Cross.

Among the friends Doherty has counted on throughout her cancer battle has been none other than her former “Beverly Hills, 90210” costar Brian Austin Green. In an interview with “Good Morning America” in February 2020, she recalled that he was one of only a handful of people who knew about her diagnosis at the start, which coincided with her appearance on a reboot of the series called “BH90210.” She said Green, who also starred in the reboot, was a great comfort to her during the grueling 15 to 16 hours a day spent filming on the set.

“I had moments of great anxiety where I thought, 'I can't really do this,' and Brian was the one person who – of that group of people that knew – that I told, like, pretty quickly and said, 'Here, the – this is what I'm dealing with.' So prior to shooting he would always call me and say, 'Listen, you know, whatever happens, I have your back.' He would look at me and be like, 'We got this, kiddo'... so Brian helped me through a lot," she recounted.

In September 2023, Green gave updates about Doherty’s current battle and described her as “resilient.”

He told E News Doherty was “doing great” and that “She's resilient. I mean, if anybody that I know is going to have to deal with what she's dealing with, she's the one that can get through it.”

According to Popculture, Green, who was previously married to actress Megan Fox, also told the Herald Sun that Doherty was an “incredibly tough person.”

“If there's anyone who could put up a real fight to cancer – she's one of them. It's not an easy situation, obviously, but I love her to death," he added.

Are you a fan of Shannen Doherty? What can you say about her most recent health update? Let us know, then be sure to pass this on to others so they can stay up to date as well.