Shannen Doherty has a heartbreaking update on her battle with cancer.
The ’90s icon, who was made famous by roles in Beverly Hills, 90210 and Charmed, shared with People in an interview published on Wednesday that her cancer has spread to her bones.
As Perezcious readers know, she was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015, for which she underwent a double mastectomy in addition to chemo and radiation. Two years later, she was in remission… But by 2019, the terrifying disease came back. She announced the news nearly a year later on Instagram, heartbreakingly sharing that it was stage 4. Things continued to get worse this last summer, when she revealed the cancer had metastasized to her brain, for which she had to undergo surgery — something she calls “one of the scariest things” she’s ever been through. And now her bones…
This poor woman.
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But the 52-year-old isn’t giving up, as she powerfully told the outlet:
“I don’t want to die. I’m not done with living. I’m not done with loving. I’m not done with creating. I’m not done with hopefully changing things for the better. I’m just not — I’m not done.”
She’s still so young. She still has so much life to live. This is so unfair…
The Mallrats star took a moment to reflect on why she’s been dealt such an unforgiving hand:
“When you ask yourself, ‘Why me? Why did I get cancer?’ and then ‘Why did my cancer come back? Why am I stage 4?,’ that leads you to look for the bigger purpose in life.”
One of her reasons to keep going? To work! The beloved TV star says she’s not ready to throw in the towel just yet:
“People don’t know a lot about cancer. They just sort of assume that it means you can’t walk, you can’t eat, you can’t work. They put you out to pasture at a very early age — ‘You’re done, you’re retired,’ and we’re not. We’re vibrant, and we have such a different outlook on life. We are people who want to work and embrace life and keep moving forward.”
She has, of course, received a ton of support, but still… It must be hard to navigate all the attention. She added:
“My greatest memory is yet to come. I pray. I wake up and go to bed thanking God, praying for the things that matter to me without asking for too much. It connects me to a higher power and spirituality. My faith is my mantra.”
Still to come from Shannen is her new podcast, Let’s Be Clear with Shannen Doherty, sort of a verbal memoir where she will discuss all things career, love, and sickness. It premieres next month. We can’t wait!
The Heathers star star added:
“I know it sounds cheesy and crazy, but you’re just more aware of everything, and you feel so blessed. We’re the people who want to work the most, because we’re just so grateful for every second, every hour, every day we get to be here.”
Hear more from her interview (below):
Our hearts are with Shannen. We truly admire her strength… Like Sarah Michelle Gellar said last month, “she is a warrior.”
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[Images via ABC/YouTube]