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Shannen Doherty's mother and her "Beverly Hills, 90210" costars are among those to pay tribute to the actor who died from cancer on Saturday, at age 53.
Doherty played Heather Duke in 1989's "Heathers," but was best known as Brenda Walsh in the beloved 1990s Fox teen drama series, "Beverly Hills, 90210." Doherty reprised the role in 2008's "90210," and the 2019 revival, "BH90210."
The series turned Doherty and co-stars including Jason Priestly, Luke Perry, and Jennie Garth into household names.
Doherty was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015 and said on Instagram in 2017 that she was in remission.
The cancer returned in 2019 while she was filming "BH90210", spreading to her brain and bones.
The actor's publicist, Leslie Sloane, confirmed Doherty's death in a statement to Business Insider.
"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," she said.
Social media was flooded with tributes to Doherty from her family, fans, and former costars.
Her mother, Rosa Doherty, told People: "She is my beautiful girl and my heart. Our family wants to thank everyone who has shown love and support for our Shannen throughout her life. We are truly appreciative."
Priestly, who played Brenda Walsh's twin brother on "90210," shared photos of the pair on Instagram from the 1990s series.
"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," he wrote.
Garth also posted old photos of herself with Doherty on Instagram and called her "one of the strongest people I have ever known."
She wrote: "She was courageous, passionate, determined and very loving and generous. I will miss her and will always honor her deeply in my heart and in my memories. My heart breaks for her family and Bowie."
Doherty's ex-husband, Ashley Hamilton, told TMZ that his heart "aches" over her passing. The couple were together from 1993 to 1994.
"Shannen was not only my wife, she was my guardian angel. Even though things don't always work out the way we hope they will, she stood by my side during some of my darkest times," he said. "My love and admiration for her lasted far longer than our short-lived marriage."
Hamilton added: "The world lost a free-spirited soul and my heart aches for her and for all those who loved her. May she rest in peace."
"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" star Sarah Michelle Gellar also paid tribute to her friend of 30 years.
They became friends in the 1990s when they both starred on TV shows airing on The WB network — Gellar on "Buffy," while Doherty played young witch Prue Halliwell on "Charmed."
"How do you possibly find the right words to sum up 30 years of friendship? I keep reminding myself it only hurts this much because, there was so much love," she wrote. "Thank you, for all your kind words and support. I love all the messages about how @theshando was important to you. So let's honor her."
Fan favorite director Kevin Smith remembered working with Doherty on his 1995 comedy, "Mallrats," which gained a cult following.
He pointed out that the film would not have been made without the "90210" star.
"Shannen was a true talent and she became a good friend, but lest anyone forget, she was the only reason Mallrats got green-lit in 1995. That's because Shannen was one of the most famous people on the planet – and the fact that she picked Mallrats as her first follow-up to 90210 made that movie happen," Smith explained.
Rose McGowan, who replaced Doherty on "Charmed," said that they "chose" to be friends when Doherty was written out of the series in 2003.
"We laughed at dark forces who wanted us to hate each other, instead we chose love and respect. A soft-hearted badass as there ever was. A force of energy that will live forever in hearts. May angels and God carry her to the holy kingdom where she is healthy, young and wild forever," she said.
Correction: July 16, 2024 — An earlier version of this story misspelled "Beverly Hills."
