Shannen Doherty - 'I'm So Grateful for Every Second'

AS SHE FACES STAGE 4 BREAST CANCER, THE ACTRESS FINDS STRENGTH IN LOVED ONES AND HOPES TO INSPIRE OTHERS BY FOCUSING ON HER FUTURE

- DANIELLE BACHER

Shannen Doherty doesn’t mince words. “I don’t want to die,” she asserts as a sliver of Los Angeles sunshine falls across her face on the set of her People photo shoot. Characteristically candid, upbeat and dry-witted as she chats four days before Thanksgiving, the Beverly Hills, 90210 actress shares that her stage 4 breast cancer has spread to her bones. As she continues to receive treatment, the 52-year-old is more determined than ever to keep moving forward. “I’m not done with living. I’m not done with loving. I’m not done with creating. I’m not done with hopefully changing things for the better,” she says, cracking a smile. “I’m just not—I’m not done.”

Doherty’s eight-year journey with cancer has led her to reflect on the big picture of her life, a theme she will explore on her memoir-style podcast Let’s Be Clear With Shannen Doherty (premiering Dec. 6 on iHeartRadio), where she plans to discuss everything from career highlights and past relationships to the stages of her illness. After her initial diagnosis with breast cancer in 2015, she had a mastectomy and underwent chemotherapy and radiation. 

In April 2017 she revealed she was in remission, but by 2019 the cancer returned; she announced her diagnosis of metastatic stage 4 cancer the following year. “When you ask yourself, ‘Why me? Why did I get cancer?’ and then ‘Why did my cancer come back? Why am I stage 4?,’ that leads you to look for the bigger purpose in life,” she says. She hopes to raise awareness and funds for cancer research— while showing that people with terminal cancer still have plenty to contribute to the world. “It’s insane to me we still don’t have a cure,” she says.