‘Shocked’ Jason Priestley pays tribute to Shannen Doherty after her death: ‘She was a force of nature’
Jason Priestley has reacted to the death of his TV sister, Shannen Doherty.
The “Beverly Hills, 90210” alum posted an Instagram tribute on Sunday after Doherty died of cancer at age 53.
“Shocked and saddened to hear about the passing of my friend Shannen,” he wrote. “She was a force of nature and I will miss her. Sending love and light to her family in this dark time.”
Priestley shared a photo of the pair on “Beverly Hills, 90210.”
Doherty and Priestley played twins Brenda and Brandon Walsh on the hit teen drama series.
The Fox show aired for 10 seasons from 1990 to 2000 with co-stars Tori Spelling, Ian Ziering, Luke Perry, Jennie Garth, Gabrielle Carteris and Brian Austin Green. (Perry died from a stroke in 2019 at the age of 52.)
Most of the cast, including Priestley and Doherty, returned for the 2019 parody “BH90210.”
In January, Priestley spoke to The Post and praised Doherty during her battle with Stage 4 breast cancer.
“She’s being very proactive and it’s a difficult situation but I think that Shannen is managing it in a positive way,” he said in the exclusive interview.
“She’s using her [podcast] platform to try to help people and it’s a very admirable quality,” the actor added.
Priestley also appeared on Doherty’s podcast, “Let’s Be Clear,” that same month and they joked about the “chemistry” between Brenda and Brandon on the series.
“Brenda and Brandon were always so interesting because we had an interesting relationship,” she said, causing Priestley to laugh. “There was this sexual undertone of Brenda and Brandon that to this day is hysterical.”
Doherty also referenced the 1992 Rolling Stone magazine cover she and Priestley posed for alongside Perry.
“I’m like, straddling you,” Doherty chuckled. “So bizarre. There were a lot of bizarre things that happened with us.”
Rumors of an off-screen romance between Doherty and Priestley swirled during the early days of “90210” but Priestley denied the rumors in a 1993 interview with Howard Stern.
Back in 2002, Priestley revealed that he reached out to Doherty after she publicly shared the news about her cancer diagnosis.
“She’s overwhelmed with well wishers and with people reaching out to her. I haven’t heard back from her yet, but I’m sure that I will very soon,” he said to People at the time.
Priestley added: “Shannen was a big part of my life. Shannen and I will always have a bond that is very meaningful. I’m very heartbroken about the news and I wish her and her family the best in this very difficult time.”
