Shannen Doherty’s first day of death: a fighter with an unbroken will

“I’m not afraid of death,” said Shannen Doherty (1971-2024) in one of her last. “I don’t want to die. That is the difference.” Eight months later, on July 13, 2024, the actress lost her fight against cancer after many years. She was “not yet finished”, as she had emphasized – with life, loved ones, the work and thus “hopefully changing things for the better.” Despite her serious illness, she had remained positive, pursued new projects until the end and held on to life.

Just a few days before her death, Shannen Doherty announced her latest project: she joined the “House of Halliwell” podcast, who is devoted to the “Charmed – Magical Witches” series. From 1998 to 2001 Doherty played the role of Prue Halliwell. Her co-stars Holly Marie Combs (51), Brian Krause (56) and Drew Fuller (45) had started the podcast and dared to relaunch with Doherty. On July 8, 2024, the quartet surprised the fans in the episode “Welcome Home Prue Halliwell” with the new line -up. From now on they wanted to analyze and discuss all the episodes of “Charmed – Magical Witches”. But just five days later, Shannen Doherty died.

“This series, this character, this podcast have meant Shannen that much,” it said in one. “We want to honor your memory and want to fulfill Shannen’s wish by publishing the first five episodes she recorded before her death.” Individual anecdotes from these recordings were also immortalized on the associated Instagram profile, selected scenes with Doherty as Prue are particularly highlighted in honor in posts with the hashtag #shandosunday.

In her own in the Doherty, also primarily spoke about her dealings with cancer, she announced the relaunch of the “Charmed” podcast together with Holly Marie Combs. In the episode, the seriously ill actress explained that there was also a financial interest behind her projects. So she wanted to earn as much money as possible and put it on well so that she no longer had to work. “I can then go a lot more vacation,” said the series star. “But then I also think when I die, my mother has a nice nesting and I don’t have to worry.”

Doherty had made further preparations for her mother. “I know that it will be difficult for her if I die in front of her,” she said in a few weeks earlier. In order not to leave a material ballast and relieve her mother with it, Doherty ceased and buried the dream of a horse setting in Tennessee. At that time she suffered from breast cancer in the fourth and last stage.

Shannen Doherty was diagnosed for the first time. From the beginning she dealt very openly with this disease. The cancer later formed metastases in her brain and spread to the bones. She started new chemotherapy just a few weeks before her death. Nevertheless, her condition deteriorated until on July 13, 2024 she died in the closest circle of her loved ones at the age of 53.

Doherty became known primarily for her roles in the TV series “Beverly Hills, 90210” and “Charmed – Magical Witches”. In 2009 she returned to her role as Brenda Walsh for the offshoot “90210”. In private, no persistent love luck was granted to her: Doherty was married three times. From her last husband, Kurt Iswarienko (51), she only divorced shortly before her death. She submitted the divorce in April 2023 after cheating her.

But Shannen Doherty was not alone. In her last hours she was surrounded by her loved ones, like her doctor and close confidant Dr. Lawrence D. Piro told him after her death. She was “surrounded by a selected group of friends”, “which gave her a lot of care and support,” said the doctor. “The most difficult thing was that she was not ready to go because she loved life.”

With her podcast and her open and unadorned handling of her illness, she has set a monument. Your legacy goes far beyond your acting roles. So Shannen Doherty is not only remembered as a series star, but also as a fighting nature with an unbroken will to live.