Shannen Doherty stunned fans in February with the announcement that she has stage four breast cancer, three years after going into remission. Months later, former Beverly Hills 90210 co-star Jason Priestley has provided an emotional update. He spoke with Studio 10’s Angela Bishop and said that Doherty is “in pretty good spirits.”
“Last time I heard from her she was in pretty good spirits,” Priestley said. He also confirmed that he reaches out to his TV twin sister every couple of days just to say hi. “Shannen is a real tough girl. Shannen’s a fighter, and she’s always been a fighter, and I know she’ll continue to fight as hard as she can.”
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This is the second major update Priestley has provided since Doherty revealed her diagnosis. He said in February that he had reached out to his former co-star after she went public with the news. Priestley explained at the time that he was one of the many people sending well-wishes to Doherty.
“I reached out to her yesterday when the news broke,” Priestley said in February. “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. 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.”
While Doherty previously had kept her diagnosis secret, it was set to ultimately surface via court documents. She had a lawsuit against State Farm concerning damages to her home by the 2018 Woolsey Fire. Doherty later explained that she wanted to provide the information prior to the documents do so first.
“I’d rather people hear it from me,” she said. “I don’t want it to be twisted; I don’t want it to be a court document. I want it to be real and authentic and I want to control the narrative. I want people to know from me.”
Doherty has faced stage four cancer at home while remaining in isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time, she has provided updates about her life and called for people to be safe. One example was a video showing a series of matches lighting up before one match stepped out of line and stopped and flame’s spread. She used the video to illustrate how it is important to stay at home in order to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
