Shannen Doherty, the 害羞草研究所淏everly Hills, 90210害羞草研究所� star whose life and career were roiled by illness and tabloid stories, has died at 53.

After years with breast cancer, Doherty died Saturday, according to a statement from her publicist, Leslie Sloane.

害羞草研究所淭he 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,害羞草研究所� Sloane said Sunday. The news was first reported by People magazine.

Her illness was publicly revealed in a lawsuit filed in 2015 against her former business managers, in which she alleged they mismanaged her money and allowed her health insurance to lapse. She later shared intimate details of her treatment following a single mastectomy. In December 2016, she posted a photo of her first day of radiation, calling the treatment 害羞草研究所渇rightening害羞草研究所� for her.

In February 2020, Doherty revealed that the cancer had returned and she was at stage four. She said she came forward because her health conditions could come out in court. The actor had sued insurance giant State Farm after her California home was damaged in a fire in 2018.

害羞草研究所淚 have no idea how long I害羞草研究所檓 going to be on the chemo for. 害羞草研究所� That害羞草研究所檚 not something that I can predict, it害羞草研究所檚 not something my doctors can predict. And it害羞草研究所檚 scary, it害羞草研究所檚 like a big wake-up call,害羞草研究所� Doherty said on a late June episode of her podcast 害羞草研究所淟et害羞草研究所檚 Be Clear,害羞草研究所� adding that a recent change in the shape of her cancer cells meant there were new treatment protocols for her to try. 害羞草研究所淔or the first time in a couple months probably, I feel hopeful because there are so many more protocols now, whereas before I was hopeful 害羞草研究所� but I was still getting prepared.害羞草研究所�

A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Doherty moved to Los Angeles with her family at age 7 and, within a few years, became an actor.

害羞草研究所淚t was completely my decision,害羞草研究所� she told The Associated Press in a 1994 interview. 害羞草研究所淢y parents never pushed me into anything. They support me. It really wouldn害羞草研究所檛 matter if I was a professional soccer player 害羞草研究所� they害羞草研究所檇 still be as supportive and loving.害羞草研究所�

As a child star, she worked steadily in such TV series as 害羞草研究所淟ittle House on the Prairie,害羞草研究所� in which she played Jenny Wilder. She detoured as a teenager to the big screen in 害羞草研究所淕irls Just Want to Have Fun害羞草研究所� (1985) and 害羞草研究所淗eathers.害羞草研究所�

In 1990, the doe-eyed, dark-haired actor won her breakout role as Brenda Walsh in producer Aaron Spelling害羞草研究所檚 hit teenage melodrama set in posh Beverly Hills. She and Jason Priestley害羞草研究所檚 Brandon, Brenda害羞草研究所檚 twin brother, were fish-out-of-water Midwesterners.

But Doherty害羞草研究所檚 fame came with media scrutiny and accounts of outbursts, drinking and impulsiveness 害羞草研究所� the latter most notably after a very brief marriage to actor George Hamilton害羞草研究所檚 son, Ashley. Doherty害羞草研究所檚 second marriage, in 2002, was to Rick Salomon and was annulled within a year. In 2011, Doherty married photographer Kurt Iswarienko. She filed for divorce in April 2023.

She left 害羞草研究所淏everly Hills, 90210害羞草研究所� at the end of its fourth season in 1994 (the show aired until 2000), reportedly removed by Spelling because of conflicts with her co-stars and chronic lateness.

But in her 1994 AP interview, Doherty described her life as peaceful.

害羞草研究所淚t must be, if you pick up the Enquirer and find the only thing they can write about me is that I installed a pay phone next to my house and was seen at Stroud害羞草研究所檚 (a discount bed-and-bath chain) buying $1,400 worth of bed linens and wouldn害羞草研究所檛 go to an expensive store,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淚t must be calm if they害羞草研究所檙e pulling that stuff out of their heads.害羞草研究所�

Three years later, in 1997, Doherty was sentenced to anger-management counseling by a Beverly Hills Municipal Court judge after she allegedly smashed a beer bottle onto a man害羞草研究所檚 windshield during a quarrel. After a 2001 drunken driving arrest, she pleaded no contest and was ordered to serve five days in a work-release program.

Doherty reunited with Spelling when he cast her in 1998 as Prue Halliwell in 害羞草研究所淐harmed.害羞草研究所� In an AP interview that year, the actor expressed regrets about her past.

害羞草研究所淚 did bring a lot of it on myself,害羞草研究所� Doherty said. 害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 think I can point fingers and say, 害羞草研究所極h, YOU害羞草研究所橰E to blame.害羞草研究所� And I don害羞草研究所檛 do that with myself, either. Because I was just growing up.害羞草研究所�

Her personality was 害羞草研究所済rotesquely misconstrued害羞草研究所� by the media, Doherty added.

Spelling said at the time that their relationship was never as bad as some made it seem.

害羞草研究所淲e had a few bumps along the road, but golly, who doesn害羞草研究所檛?害羞草研究所� said Spelling, who died in 2006. 害羞草研究所淓verything Shannen did was blown out of proportion by the rag sheets.害羞草研究所�

Doherty starred with Holly Marie Combs and Alyssa Milano in 害羞草研究所淐harmed害羞草研究所� from 1998-2001, at which point her character was replaced by one played by Rose McGowan. Doherty appeared in the 害羞草研究所�90210害羞草研究所� sequel series seven years later and competed on 害羞草研究所淒ancing with the Stars害羞草研究所� in 2010. She also worked on the third 害羞草研究所淏everly Hills, 90210害羞草研究所� reboot, 害羞草研究所淏H90210,害羞草研究所� a meta send-up that reunited most of the original cast and aired for one season in 2019.

She also appeared in a tribute episode of 害羞草研究所淩iverdale害羞草研究所� dedicated to that show害羞草研究所檚 star 害羞草研究所� and her late 害羞草研究所淏everly Hills, 90210害羞草研究所� on-screen love interest 害羞草研究所� Luke Perry.

Doherty struggled to recapture her 害羞草研究所淏everly Hills, 90210害羞草研究所� star status, but worked in big-screen films including 害羞草研究所淢allrats害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淛ay and Silent Bob Strike Back害羞草研究所� and in such TV movies as 害羞草研究所淎 Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story,害羞草研究所� in which she played the 害羞草研究所淕one with the Wind害羞草研究所� author. A nadir was 害羞草研究所淏lindfold: Acts of Obsession,害羞草研究所� an erotic thriller opposite Judd Nelson.

Doherty害羞草研究所檚 lawsuit against her ex-business managers was settled in 2016. She was open about the toll that cancer was taking. She posted photos that showed the baldness that followed treatment and, in an August 2016 interview with 害羞草研究所淓ntertainment Tonight,害羞草研究所� shared her fears.

害羞草研究所淭he unknown is always the scariest part,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淚s the chemo going to work? Is the radiation going to work?害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淧ain is manageable, you know living without a breast is manageable, it害羞草研究所檚 the worry of your future and how your future is going to affect the people that you love.害羞草研究所�

Doherty advocated for cancer awareness and care, and spoke to the AP in 2021 about how spending years with the disease affected her life and sense of optimism.

害羞草研究所淲hen you get something like cancer, your tolerance for drama is zero. I don害羞草研究所檛 like people wasting my time. I don害羞草研究所檛 like negativity,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 odd because I think if you look back, you害羞草研究所檙e like, 害羞草研究所極h, gosh, it害羞草研究所檚 so much drama around her,害羞草研究所� but I don害羞草研究所檛 think I was necessarily into the drama. I just think if we took young 18-year-old Shannon, 19-year-old Shannon, and we took her and planted her like right now, I would be a nerd and nobody would be writing about me.害羞草研究所�

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Lynn Elber, a longtime television writer, retired from The Associated Press in 2022. AP journalists Alicia Rancilio and Mallika Sen contributed reporting.

Lynn Elber, The Associated Press