Jennie Garth continues to reflect on her decades-long relationship with her “Beverly Hills, 90210” co-star Shannen Doherty, who died of cancer last Saturday at age 53. On Thursday’s episode of her “I Choose Me” podcast, Garth spoke at length about Doherty’s death in a candid conversation with her friend and therapist, Adele House.
During a particularly emotional moment in the chat, Garth recalled the final time she and Doherty spoke in person. “It was after our last time together at maybe ’90s Con,” Garth said, referring to last year’s “90210” cast reunion at the Daytona Beach, Florida, stop of the annual fan convention. “She had to get right back to L.A. and she was taking her, I think, friend’s private plane, and she had offered everybody that needed to get back to L.A. — or even Jason [Priestley], who had to go to Nashville — to get on the plane and we can all go together. And no one asked me.”
Although Garth assumed she’d been left out because she was traveling to New York, Doherty made sure to extend the offer. “She came to me right before they left and she was like, ‘We’re going on this plane. You’re welcome to come with us, Jennie,’” she said. “And I can see her saying it, and that just keeps playing over and over in my mind.”
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In 2015, Doherty went public with her breast cancer diagnosis. Though she frequently used her platform to advocate for cancer research, she never let her health get in the way of work. She reunited with many of her “90210” castmates on Fox’s “BH90210” revival series, which aired in 2019. Last year, she launched her “Let’s Be Clear” podcast.
Doherty’s perseverance led Garth to believe that her friend would ultimately “kick” her illness. “I don’t know why, but I just thought she would get better,” she said. “She’s the strongest woman around, and I just never thought that this would happen.”
As to how she’ll remember Doherty, she added: “She was really kind and generous, and strong. Sometimes her strength got in her way and didn’t look the way other people wanted it to look, but she didn’t care. She was strong anyway, because I think she had to be.”
Listen to Thursday’s episode of Jennie Garth’s “I Choose Me” podcast below. Her comments about her final chat with Doherty take place around the 10:45 mark.
