Shannen Doherty emotionally revealed that her Stage 4 cancer has spread to her brain.
The diagnosis came in January for the “Beverly Hills, 90210” actress, who shared her most recent cancer diagnosis in 2020, several years after finishing treatment for breast cancer.
In an Instagram post Wednesday, Doherty said a CT scan showed the cancer had spread, and shared a video of herself going through “the process of getting fitted for the mask which you wear during radiation to your brain.”
“January 12, 2023. On January 5th, my ct scan showed (the cancer metastisized) in my brain,” she wrote on Instagram. “January 12, the first round of radiation took place. My fear is obvious. I am extremely claustrophobic and there was a lot going on in my life. I am fortunate as I have great doctors like Dr Amin Mirahdi and the amazing techs at cedar sinai. But that fear…. The turmoil….. the timing of it all…. This is what cancer can look like.”
Embedded content: https://www.instagram.com/p/CtKfA9QLdDm/
Actress Selma Blair, who has publicly detailed her multiple sclerosis diagnosis, commented on the post, saying, “This is a lot. This is a lot to take on, still again. And I am wishing for all the wise peace you have learned to find you in the terror moments. To know we are holding you. Love. All love.”
Blair’s “Cruel Intentions” co-star Sarah Michelle Gellar called Doherty “a warrior.”
Director Kevin Smith wrote in the comments, “Rooting for you, my irreplaceable friend. You have been such a fearless fighter your whole life, so it’s understandable to be a little scared from time to time. But when those moments pass, let that indomitable Doherty spirit take over anew. I love you so much, my Mallrat.”
The actress, 52, filed for divorce from photographer Kurt Iswarienko in April after 11 years of marriage, her representative confirmed to USA TODAY at the time. She and Iswarienko wed in October 2011.
“Divorce is the last thing Shannen wanted,” Doherty’s representative Leslie Sloane said in a statement. “Unfortunately, she felt she was left with no other option.”
‘No other option’:Shannen Doherty files to divorce Kurt Iswarienko after 11 years of marriage
In 2020, Doherty shared on “Good Morning America” she had been privately living with cancer again during the past year. She did not specify the type of cancer, but “GMA” reported it was a recurrence.
The actress revealed in that interview that her decision to go public with the diagnosis came amid a legal battle against State Farm over claims she was forced to pay out of pocket after her house was “severely damaged” in the 2018 Woolsey fire. She said she decided to come forward because legal documents, which mention her cancer, were about to become available to the public.
She won her lawsuit against the insurance company in 2021, and a federal jury in Los Angeles awarded her $6.3 million.
Contributing: Charles Trepany, Hannah Yasharoff, USA TODAY; The Associated Press
