Warning: This article contains discussion of cancer which some readers may find distressing.
Prior to her tragic passing on Saturday (13 July), US actor Shannen Doherty left a list of very specific wishes for how she wanted her body to be handled.
The 53-year-old Beverley Hills, 90210 star's death was announced by her publicist Leslie Sloan on Sunday (14 July), with the agent revealing the sad news that she'd 'lost her battle with cancer'.
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The announcement came nine years after the actor first opened up about her health, disclosing in 2015 that she'd been diagnosed with breast cancer.
In the turbulent two years that followed, Shannen underwent surgery and treatment before her cancer thankfully went into remission.
The TV star's celebration was short-lived, however, and in 2020, she announced that the disease had returned, and that she now had stage four breast cancer.
Sadly, she revealed at the time that the cancer had also spread to her brain and her bones, and was therefore being considered terminal.
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Throughout the duration of her health woes, Shannen kept her fans in the loop with her wellbeing in the form of her popular podcast Let's Be Clear, upon which she also opened up on some rather specific final wishes.
In an episode released in January, she told listeners: "I want [my remains] to be mixed with my dog, and I want it to be mixed with my dad. I do not want to be buried and not cremated."
The much-loved actor went on to suggest that a portion of her remains be spread in Malibu, where she and her late father John Thomas Doherty regularly holidayed together prior to his death in 2010.
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She added that she also wanted some of her cremation remains to be used as fertiliser to 'grow them into a tree'.
When it came to funeral specifics, Shannen revealed she had a list of who she wanted to prohibit from the mourning procession.
"There’s a lot of people that I think would show up that I don’t want there. I don’t want them there because their reasons for showing up aren’t necessarily the best reasons," she explained.
"Like, they don’t really like me and, you know, they have their reasons and good for them, but they don’t actually really like me enough to show up to my funeral."
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Shannen also spoke of the importance of her funeral attendees not feeling 'pressured' to turn up.
She said: "[They’ll show up] because it’s the politically correct thing to do, and they don’t want to look bad, so I kinda want to take the pressure off them and I want my funeral to be like a love fest.
"I don’t want people to be crying or people to privately be like, 'Thank God that b***h is dead now'."
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Leslie Sloan, Shannen's long-time friend and agent, broke the news of her death in an emotional statement released to People.
"It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the passing of actress Shannen Doherty," the statement read.
"On Saturday, July 13, she lost her battle with cancer after many years of fighting the disease. 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."
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact Macmillan’s Cancer Support Line on 0808 808 00 00, 8am–8pm seven days a week.
Topics: Cancer, Celebrity, Health, Shannen Doherty
Rhianna Benson