Shannen Doherty’s doctor reveals her ‘sad’ final moments before death: ‘She wasn’t ready to leave’
Shannen Doherty’s doctor has revealed the beloved actress’s heartbreaking final moments.
The “Beverly Hills, 90210” star died at age 53 on Saturday after a long battle with cancer.
In an interview with People, oncologist Dr. Lawrence D. Piro said the “Charmed” alum’s final moments were “sad” and “beautiful.”
“In the last few hours, she was in a place where she was very comfortable and sleeping and transitioning, and she was surrounded by some of her very close friends,” Piro told the outlet.
“The room was surrounded by a select group of friends that were giving her a lot of care and support. It was somber and sad, but beautiful and loving.”
“The hardest thing about this was that she wasn’t ready to leave because she loved life,” he added.
Doherty was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015, enduring a mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiation. She went into remission in 2017, but in February 2020, she announced she had Stage 4 breast cancer.
On the June 24 episode of her “Let’s Be Clear” podcast, Doherty opened up about her decision to undergo another round of chemotherapy.
“I’m having to go back on chemo and it’s really hard,” she said at the time. “The idea of going through that all over again has wrecked me.”
Speaking about the late actress’s fight against the illness, Piro said they “kept going until we couldn’t go any more.”
“The last conversation that we had, she was in the process of realizing that things had taken a pretty significant turn,” he told the outlet.
“The conversation was about love and support and caring and still fighting through. She wanted to continue to take treatment and fight through, even though her physical condition had taken a bit of a downturn. And so we did.”
And while the “Heathers” actress had only a “limited situation of options,” she was not willing to throw in the towel.
“That wasn’t even open for discussion, because that’s not how Shannen lived. She was an incredible warrior in everything she did,” Piro added.
Doherty’s death was confirmed by her longtime publicist, Leslie Sloane, on Sunday.
“It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the passing of actress Shannen Doherty,” Sloane said in a statement to the outlet.
“On Saturday, July 13, she lost her battle with cancer after many years of fighting the disease,” Sloane continued.
“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.”
Following her death, the actress was remembered by fans and friends alike, including several of her “Beverly Hills, 90210” co-stars.
