Tori Spelling has shared the deeply emotional moment she discovered the passing of her friend and former Beverly Hills, 90210 co-star Shannen Doherty, who died at 53. In a heartfelt discussion on her podcast, misSPELLING, Spelling described the overwhelming shock she felt when she learned of Doherty’s death on July 14, just a day after the actress passed away following a long battle with breast cancer.
Spelling, 51, recounted the early morning of July 14, when she was napping with her children. Her phone continuously buzzed with notifications, which alerted her to the tragic news. “It kept going off,” Spelling said. “I checked the time, and it was 7 a.m., and I knew immediately. I was like, ‘Oh my God. Somebody’s passed, somebody important has died.'”
Choosing not to check social media immediately, Spelling later confirmed the news through a Google search. The confirmation that Doherty had died on the previous night left her stunned. Doherty had been battling breast cancer since her initial diagnosis in 2015, which had gone into remission before returning as stage four cancer in 2017 and eventually spreading to her brain last year.
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On her podcast, Spelling praised Doherty for her bravery and her role in raising awareness about cancer. She described Doherty as a source of inspiration for many, noting, “For everyone around the world that was going through something, whether it was cancer or any other kind of disease or ailment… they really did look to her for inspiration and power to carry on.”
Spelling and Doherty first met when they were cast in the pilot of Beverly Hills, 90210, a show produced by Spelling’s late father, Aaron Spelling. Despite experiencing some rough patches in their relationship over the years, Spelling fondly remembered Doherty’s early kindness and support. “She immediately took me under her wing… she gave me a big hug, walked me around, took me into the makeup trailer,” Spelling recalled.
The two actresses had their share of misunderstandings but managed to reconcile and strengthen their friendship in recent years. “Ultimately, we got that time to go back and say, ‘None of that matters,'” Spelling said. “What matters is that core friendship that we had and we were able to get back to that.”
Following Doherty’s death, Spelling shared a poignant tribute on Instagram Stories, featuring a selfie with Doherty and a caption reflecting her grief. In a more detailed statement posted on July 15, Spelling expressed her deep sorrow and highlighted the profound bond they shared over their 36-year friendship.
Describing Doherty as a “beacon” in her life, Spelling emphasized Doherty’s lasting legacy both in her performances and her courageous battle with cancer. Doherty’s death comes more than five years after the passing of another Beverly Hills, 90210 star, Luke Perry, who died of a stroke in March 2019.
In the wake of Perry’s death, Spelling had reunited with her co-stars, including Doherty, for the show BH90210, where they portrayed fictionalized versions of themselves. Doherty’s publicist confirmed her passing in a statement, noting that she was surrounded by loved ones and her dog, Bowie, and requested privacy for her family during this time of mourning.
