Shannon Doherty Dies at 53

(RepublicanJournal.org) – Actress Shannen Doherty, best known for her role in 1990s teen drama “Beverly Hills, 90210,” has died after a long illness. At the height of her popularity, she attracted as much attention for her “bad girl” image as for her acting skills. While Doherty’s career declined after its early-90s peak, she continued to act until just months before her death.

Shannen Maria Doherty was born in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 12, 1971. She picked up her first acting parts at 11 years old, appearing in episodes of “Voyagers!” and “Father Murphy,” and then her first recurring role as Jenny Wilder in “Little House on the Prairie.” In 1994, her growing reputation was rewarded with a Best Young Actress nomination at the Youth in Film Awards, and more guest appearances followed.

In 1985, Doherty played a major role in the cult classic “Girls Just Want To Have Fun,” and then won another award nomination for playing Kris Witherspoon in “Our House” from 1986-88. As that ended she was cast as one of the leads in the teen black comedy “Heathers” — and then, in 1990, she was chosen to play Brenda Walsh in “Beverly Hills, 90210.”

Doherty stayed with 90210 for four years, earning a third award nomination, and it quickly became her best-known role.

It also became a controversial one. As the media paid her more attention, rumors started to spread of wild off-screen behavior. A fanzine published a newsletter called “I Hate Brenda” and opened a hotline so people could call in with gossip about Doherty. In the end, after four seasons, a group of her co-stars had her fired from the show because of her ongoing feud with Jennie Garth, who played Kelly Taylor.

After leaving 90210, Doherty appeared in several made-for-TV movies, but few of them gained as much attention as her earlier roles. Then, in 1999, she was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, the first of the health problems that dogged her later in life. In 2015 she was diagnosed with breast cancer, which had already spread significantly. While her cancer went into remission in 2017, by early 2020 it had returned and spread. In 2023 Doherty announced that it had reached her brain and was now terminal.

Shannen Doherty died at her Malibu, California home on July 13.