Shannen Doherty Just Won Gigantic Lawsuit Battle Against State Farm Insurance

Former Beverly Hills, 90210 star Shannen Doherty won a major legal victory against State Farm Insurance on Monday. In the long legal battle, Doherty accused State Farm of refusing to pay for the repairs of her Malibu California home, which was damaged in the 2018 Woolsey Fire. Doherty was awarded $6,346,000 in damages by the jury.

"We thank the members of the jury for their thoughtful consideration of Shannen's case," Doherty's attorney, Devin McRae, said in a statement to PEOPLE. "We are happy they saw the case the way we do. this should send a message to institutions that they should not forget they are dealing with human beings." The amount covers the damage to the star's home, personal property, emotional distress and attorneys fees. In its statement, State Farm said it "empathizes" with Doherty, but was "disappointed" by the jury's decision. A rep for the company said they plan to "explore all available legal options" and will appeal the verdict.

The legal battle prompted Doherty to come forward with her stage 4 breast cancer diagnosis in February 2020, three years after her cancer went into remission. Doherty, 50, did not want to discuss her health publicly, but she said her diagnosis would be revealed as the lawsuit dragged on. After Doherty appeared on Good Morning America to talk about her cancer battle, State Farm accused Doherty of trying to "garner sympathy" by talking about her breast cancer struggle.

"I'd rather people hear it from me," Doherty said on Good Morning America. "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."

By coincidence, Doherty won the lawsuit on the same day she gave another interview with ABC News, providing an update on her health and working while fighting cancer. "I think work was always very fulfilling to me, but in a way, it's become even more fulfilling," Doherty told ABC News Monday. "A lot of people who get diagnosed with stage four, they sort of getting written off. It's assumed that they cannot work or they can't work at their full capacity. And that is not true. And that is something that I would really like for people to sort of stop assuming, and give us a chance to prove them wrong."

Doherty is best known for playing Brenda Walsh in Beverly Hills, 90210 and Prue Halliwell in the original Charmed. She recently finished two Lifetime original movies that will air this month. Dying to Belong airs on Oct. 9 and List of a Lifetime, in which Doherty plays the adoptive mother of a woman with breast cancer, airs on Oct. 10.

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