Shannen Doherty reveals breast cancer has returned, now stage four

After a brief stint in remission, actress Shannen Doherty has revealed that she was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer around a year ago.

Shannen Doherty of Beverly Hills, 90210, and Charmed fame sat down for an interview with Good Morning America this morning, during which she disclosed that her breast cancer had returned and advanced to stage four. Doherty was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015 and underwent radiation and chemotherapy treatments for two years before announcing that she was in remission in 2017.

Doherty has been open about the difficulty in dealing with former 90210 co-star and friend Luke Perry’s death last year, even appearing in Riverdale’s fourth season premiere to help pay homage to Perry’s character. She would later join the Beverly Hills, 90210 reboot, BH 90210, a reality-based reboot that followed the cast as they reunited to film a revival series. Doherty states that she was diagnosed prior to filming, so she would work 16-hour days to prove “she can work, and other people with stage four can work too.”

During her interview with GMA, Doherty said her most recent diagnosis would be made public soon enough because her health battle is mentioned in a lawsuit she filed against State Farm, following 2018’s devastating Woolsey Fire that rampaged across parts of Southern California. While Doherty received a payment after her claim, she said that it wasn’t enough to restore her home to it’s previous condition. She also wanted to take on State Farm on behalf of other homeowners who feel like their needs are minimized during destructive acts of nature.

On a personal note, I essentially grew up with Doherty on television. She was the original misunderstood “bad girl” who just didn’t give a damn what other people thought of her. I was in high school the same time Beverly Hills, 90210 was on the air, and Charmed remains one of my favorite television shows of all time. My mother lost her own battle with lung cancer two years ago, so I can imagine what she and her loved ones are going through. Our thoughts and prayers are with Doherty, her family, and friends during this difficult time.