Shannen Doherty

Former Beverly Hills, 90210 star Shannen Doherty is battling stage 4 breast cancer.

The veteran actress, also known for her roles in Charmed and Heathers, went public with her diagnosis during an appearance on Tuesday’s Good Morning America.



“I don’t think I’ve processed it. It’s a bitter pill to swallow in a lot of ways,” Doherty commented. “I definitely have days where I say why me. And then I go, well, why not me? Who else? Who else besides me deserves this? None of us do. But I would say that my first reaction is always concern about how — how am I going to tell my mom, my husband.”

Doherty was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015. However, after undergoing a mastectomy as well as chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment, Doherty announced in April 2017 that her cancer was in remission.

Doherty told Good Morning America that after learning her cancer had returned, she initially decided to keep the news private. She cited the tragic passing of 90210 co-star Luke Perry, as well as the show’s recent reboot for her decision.

“It’s so weird for me to be diagnosed and then somebody who was, you know, seemingly healthy to go first,” Doherty explained. “It was really, like, shocking. And the least I could do to honor him was to do that show.”

“One of the reasons, along with Luke — that I did 90210 and didn’t really tell anybody because I thought, people can look at that other people with stage four can work too. Like, you know, our life doesn’t end the minute we get that diagnosis. We still have some living to do.”

Doherty finally decided to go public with her diagnosis in light of an ongoing legal battle with State Farm Insurance over damage to her California sustained during the Woosley Fire in 2018.

“I’d rather people hear it from me. I don’t want it to be twisted. I don’t want it to be a court document. I want it to be real and authentic,” Doherty explained. “And I want to control the narrative. I want people to know from me, I just didn’t want them to know yet.”

Watch Doherty’s interview with GMA below.