Shannen Doherty Denies Claims She Has 'Open Marriage' Amid Cancer Fight

Doherty says the claim about her "open marriage" with photographer Kurt Iswarienko "is an absolute lie."

By Megan Behnke

Shannen Doherty is slamming rumors about her previous marriage. The Beverly Hills, 90210 alum married photographer Kurt Iswarienko in 2011 and announced their separation in April 2023. In a recent episode of her podcast, Let's Be Clear with Shannen Doherty, the actress admitted she "felt so betrayed," accusing him of dating another woman for two years during her battle with cancer. She also didn't want him to be with her for her operation.

Even despite calling out her ex, Doherty still had to fight back rumors claiming that the two were in an open marriage. On Instagram, the Charmed star said she "received a disturbing phone call" that TMZ was "going to run a story about me. The story supposedly comes from my husbands friends (soon to be ex) that he told me two years ago he was cheating on me, and we have had an open marriage. This is an absolute lie, and I will address this marriage further" on her podcast.

She pleaded with the outlet to "do more due diligence and to the 'friends/girlfriend' who tried to put this story out, I realize you're scared of the truth, but trying to circumvent it with lies will get you nowhere." When Doherty and Iswarienko's separation was first announced, E! News obtained court documents, which cited "irreconcilable differences"  as the reason for the breakup.

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Doherty was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015 and announced in 2017 that her cancer was in remission. In 2020, the actress announced that her cancer had returned in 2019 and was Stage 4. This year, it spread to her brain and her bones. During '90s Con Tampa in September, Doherty received a standing ovation at the end of the Beverly Hills, 90210 panel, and it was as emotional as ever.

Let's Be Clear with Shannen Doherty can be streamed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and everywhere else you listen to podcasts. It is fairly new, as the first episode only dropped last week. It should definitely be interesting to hear Doherty's take on the rumors, especially after addressing her relationship with Kurt Iswarienko on the first episode. It seems like not even cancer or rumors will be able to get in the way of Doherty's confidence. She's been very open about her cancer and her journey, so it's not surprising to see that she is again keeping pretty open, even when it comes to prior relationships.

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