One year after Shannen Doherty passed away following a lengthy cancer battle, Beverly Hills 90210 co-star Ian Ziering opens up about losing the late actress.
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In his latest Instagram post, Ziering reflected on Doherty’s health fight.
“When I first heard she was sick, we had nearly a decade more with her,” he wrote. “And even then, most of the updates sounded less like ‘Shannen’s fighting cancer’ and more like ‘cancer picked the wrong woman.” That was her way—strong, defiant, take-no-prisoners tough.”
He also stated that every time he saw Doherty amid her cancer battle, she was still the Shannen he had always known: fierce, funny, and full of life.
“That’s why her passing hit me like a freight train,” Ziering shared. “I was shocked. I truly believed she was going to pull off one more miracle.”
Ziering further reflected on his decision not to speak out publicly after Doherty’s death.
“When she died a year ago, I didn’t post anything. And yes, some people criticized that. To them I say: grief isn’t a performance. It’s personal,” he pointed out. “Let people grieve how they grieve. Over the past year, I’ve seen my old castmates a few times. It’s been hard being together without her—and Luke. That kind of loss doesn’t fade. It just rearranges the furniture in your heart.”
Ian Ziering Referred to Shannen Doherty as the ‘Beautiful Chaos’ on the Beverly Hills, 90210 Set
Ian Ziering then shared how much he missed Shannen Doherty despite their “clashes” while on Beverly Hills, 90210.
“I was the wisecracking comic relief; she was the beautiful chaos,” he further explained. “The after-hours headline, the girl who could trash a hotel room and make the tabloids love her for it. Whatever antics happened off-set, when the camera rolled? She delivered. Always.”
However, as the years went on, he and Doherty “mellowed” and grew apart. He reflected on the craziness he and the late actress went through.
“So, my dear Shannen— I think of you often,” he then added. “Your grit. Your fire. Your kind heart that so few really got to see. I still carry all of it with me. Rest easy, Shan.”
Shannen Doherty first revealed that she had breast cancer in 2015. Back in 2017, she announced that her cancer had returned after going into remission. She continued her battle with the disease until July 13, 2024.