Shannen Doherty dies at 53, after lengthy battle with cancer

Shannen Doherty, best known for her roles as Brenda Walsh in "Beverly Hills, 90210" and Prue Halliwell in "Charmed," died at the age of 53 on Saturday, after a lengthy battle with cancer.

The latest in a string of celebrity deaths this week, including Richard Simmons, Dr. Ruth, and Shelley Duvall, the news of Doherty's death was confirmed by her publicist, Leslie Sloane.

"It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the passing of actress Shannen Doherty. On Saturday, July 13, she lost her battle with cancer after many years of fighting the disease," Sloane writes. "The devoted daughter, sister, aunt and friend was surrounded by her loved ones as well as her dog, Bowie. The family asks for their privacy at this time so they can grieve in peace."

Doherty, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015, was very open and generous with sharing her struggles with the disease, speaking optimistically, but realistically, about her chances of beating it in many episodes of her podcast, “Let’s Be Clear.”

"You know, for the first time in a couple of months, probably, I feel hopeful because there are so many more protocols now," she said during an episode of her podcast in June. "Whereas before I was hopeful, but I was still getting prepared. Now I’m like, oh, I don’t need to be prepared. I need to go on a vacation. I need to go on a boat again and explore places.”

In 2019, the "Beverly Hills, 90210" cast, and fans of the long-running show, mourned the loss of another key cast member, Luke Perry, who died at 52 after suffering a massive ischemic stroke at his home in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles.