Shannen Doherty Reveals Her Marriage Caused Havoc on ‘90210’ Set

Shannen Doherty is revealing more about her time on the set of Beverly Hills, 90210, and what led to her eventual departure. The actress starred in the hit ’90s teen drama as Brenda Walsh for the first four seasons. She’s been open about that time of her life, including fighting with co-star Jennie Garth. Now, she’s revealing that her marriage was actually a big cause.

Doherty tied the knot with actor and singer-songwriter Ashley Hamilton in 1993 when she was 22 years old. Via In Touch, she revealed to on-screen twin brother Jason Priestly on her Let’s Be Clear podcast that her personal life made it “really hard for me to consistently be on time!” She continued, “My husband was a massive drug addict who would get incredibly violent at times, and it was all-consuming for me.”

While the is taking full “blame” for her firing from 90210, she is also blaming her “horrible marriage” to Hamilton for her behavior behind the scenes. Due to her being constantly late to set, it became a “very big problem” for her, and it even led to her firing in 1994. Even though nothing can be done about it now, Priestly told his former co-star, “I wish all of us had more knowledge about what was happening in your life so we could have dealt with your situation in a more compassionate way.”

It’s possible that if Shannen Doherty had been more open about what she was going through in her personal life, things might have turned out differently for her on 90210. Judging from the reactions, folks like Priestly and the rest of the cast and crew would have gone a bit easier on her. Her marriage to Hamilton didn’t last long, as the two filed for divorce in April 1994. She then married poker player Rick Salomon in 2002, and their marriage was annulled nine months later. Doherty married photographer Kurt Iswarienko in 2011, and she filed for divorce in April 2023.

Doherty had played Brenda Walsh on Beverly Hills, 90210 since the pilot episode through the Season 4 finale. Brenda had gotten into the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London for a year, and due to her firing, the series made it so she never came home. Doherty did reprise the role for the 90210 reboot on The CW in 2008 and 2009, appearing in seven episodes of the first season. She also reunited with the cast for Fox’s and was together with them at ’90s Con last year, proving that although there might be differences, they are all still close and have reconciled with one another.