“Charmed” and “Beverly Hills 90210” actress Shannen Doherty died Saturday following a long battle against cancer. Several friends and costars honored Doherty after the news broke Sunday. Rose McGowan, who replaced her on “Charmed” as her character’s half-sister, posted to X, “Shannen Doherty had the heart of a lion. My head bows to this warrior on her journey home. Her intense will to live places in her in the hall of legends. Forever our sister.”
McGowan also penned a lengthy post on Instagram in honor of Doherty. “Passion for craft is often mislabeled as trouble. Shannen was passion. I met her in the 90s and was awed. Getting to really know her later in life, a beautiful gift. This woman fought to live,” McGowan wrote.
“Shannen knew how to be a star because she was one since childhood. Her work ethic inspiring to the end. Shannen’s great love for directing, for acting, Holly, her friends, her parents, dog and her beloved fans was legendary,” McGowan continued.
“Our lives had been intertwined in a unique way. 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. Rest now warrior, we will never forget you dear sister,” McGowan concluded.
Alyssa Milano, who also starred on “Charmed” with Doherty until on-set tensions led to Doherty being replaced by McGowan, said in a statement, “It’s no secret that Shannen and I had a complicated relationship, but at its core was someone I deeply respected and was in awe of. She was a talented actress, beloved by many, and the world is less without her. My condolences to all who loved her.”
Doherty’s “Beverly Hills 90210” costar Jason Priestley wrote on Instagram, “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.”
Gabrielle Carteris, who also starred on “90210,” shared her own tribute on the platform. “So young — so sad. May you RIP Shannen. I know Luke [Perry] is there with open arms to love you,” she wrote. Their “90210” costar Perry died in 2019 after suffering a stroke.
Director Kevin Smith, who worked with Doherty on the 1995 film “Mallrats” and again on 2001’s “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back,” posted a lengthy remembrance on Instagram. “Long before any other pop culture figure ‘broke the internet’ @theshando singlehandedly shattered it in the early 90s. This is an incredible accomplishment considering the internet as we know it didn’t even exist yet. I (and the rest of the known universe) used to watch ‘the girl from #heathers’ every week on @beverlyhills90210,” he began.
“I usually did so while jockeying the register at @quickstopgroceries – so it was ironic that the film I’d eventually make there would lead to #shannendoherty. @malcolm.ingram is most responsible for Shannen being in #mallrats. When I told him my next flick was essentially ‘Clerks in a Mall’, Malcolm insisted ‘Then you gotta cast Doherty! She’s an American icon!’ That she was, and so much more.”
“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. I cherish the memories of Shannen walking her German Shepherd around the @edenprairiecenter every morning, or whenever she’d gossip and giggle between takes.”
“At the junket for Rats, we established a ritual we kept up for years, where she wrote ‘dick’ over my half of our @filmthreat cover while I wrote ‘b–h’ over her pic. But while Shannen was no shrinking violet and she gave as good as she got (particularly to the paparazzi), she was never anything but sweet to me. I told her back in December when I was on her podcast that I felt like the girl I used to watch on TV at Quick Stop was there to welcome me when I got into show business.”
“F–k… She’s died way too soon. I already miss you, Do-Do. Thank you for going to the Mall with me – and for thirty years of friendship. My Canadian pal was right: you are (and always will be) an American icon,” Smith concluded.
Doherty began her career in Hollywood as a child actor and starred on “Little House on the Prairie” for four seasons. The show’s X account tweeted, “It is with profound sadness that we acknowledge the passing of Shannen Doherty. Her presence on the show was a gift, and her resilience in the face of her illness was nothing short of remarkable. We extend our heartfelt sympathies to her loved ones during this sorrowful time.”
“Full House” star Dave Coulier tweeted, “RIP Shannen Doherty. I met her during the Full House days. She was lovely and had a beautiful smile. Today, I’ll also think about the women in my life who all succumbed to cancer — my mom, my sister, Sharon and my niece, Shannon, who all were so strong and so beautiful.”
Olivia Munn, who has been public with her own battle against breast cancer, wrote a tribute to Doherty on Instagram. “I am absolutely heartbroken over the passing of Shannen Doherty,” she said. “When I was first diagnosed with breast cancer I remembered how she bravely let the world into her journey and I reached out to her. We became instant friends — which I honestly couldn’t comprehend at times because watching her on ‘Beverly Hills, 90210’ was everything to me when I was 10. (Shannen Doherty as Brenda Walsh is and was and will always be an icon.)”
“We bonded through a shared battle and a desire to help other women. Looking back on the last text she sent me just a couple months ago, she asked how I was doing and if she could do anything for me…. True to form, Shannen was offering her support even though she was in the final stage of fighting this horrific disease.”
“Cancer is really f–king scary and Shannen faced it with such dignity, strength and grace. I’m sending all of my love to her mother who was her best friend, hero and champion every step of the way. Fly so high, my friend,” Munn concluded.
