Shannen Doherty’s tragic personal life in years leading to death aged 53

As Hollywood mourns the death of Shannen Doherty, details have resurfaced of how she was allegedly failed by those in her inner circle.

Shannen Doherty alleged in a previous lawsuit that her cancer spread when she wasn’t medically insured, with the US actress claiming her former management company was to blame for allowing her health insurance to lapse.

The 90210 star, who died Saturday aged 53, filed court documents in August 2015 alleging Tanner Mainstain Glynn & Johnson failed to pay for her insurance premium for 2014 through the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), before “promptly” dropping her as a client.

The past lawsuit, which was later settled for an undisclosed sum, with no admission of fault, has circulated on social media in the wake of her death, with fans describing the alleged situation as “wretched”.

Doherty didn’t seek medical checkups throughout 2014 due to being uninsured, which according to claims made by her lawyers, delayed her cancer diagnosis.

“What a stupid, wretched way to die from breast cancer,” one person wrote on social media.

In the court documents, lawyers for Doherty’s claimed: “In November 2013, SAG sent the premium invoice to Tanner Mainstain for Plaintiff’s medical insurance coverage for the year 2014,” a lawsuit claimed at the time.

“However, Defendants ignored it, failed to pay it (without informing Plaintiff) and then promptly terminated their relationship with [Doherty] effective February 7, 2014,” it was further claimed.

Shannen Doherty died at the age of 53 after a lengthy battle with cancer. Picture: Michael Tran/AFP

In response at the time, a lawyer for Tanner Mainstain Glynn & Johnson denied Doherty’s allegations.

“Tanner Mainstain is saddened to learn that Ms. Doherty is suffering from cancer and wishes her a full recovery,” Randall Dean said in a statement to ABC News.

“However, the claim that Tanner Mainstain caused her to be uninsured, prevented her from seeking medical care, or somehow contributed to her cancer is patently false. Tanner Mainstain will aggressively defend all of Ms. Doherty’s claims in court.”

When Doherty re-enrolled with SAG’s insurance program and visited a doctor in March 2015, she was told she had invasive breast cancer.

“Plaintiff was also informed that, had she been insured and able to visit her doctor, the cancer could potentially have been stopped, thus obviating the need for the future treatment (including mastectomy and chemotherapy) that Plaintiff will likely have to suffer through now,” Doherty’s court documents claimed.

Both sides eventually agreed to an undisclosed settlement figure in August 2016.

It comes as Doherty was fighting for spousal support payments from her ex-husband just weeks before her death in a desperate bid to beat cancer, before giving up the legal battle the day before she died.

The Charmed star filed court documents in June requesting $23,000 in monthly payments from her ex Kurt Iswarienko, whom she filed for divorce from in April 2023 after 12 years together.

Kurt Iswarienko and Shannen Doherty split in 2023. Picture: Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Casamigos Tequila

Further, Doherty accused Iswarienko, a photographer, of stalling divorce proceedings to avoid paying spousal support to her, believing he was hopeful she would “not survive”.

“Our assets are neither difficult to characterize [sic] nor divide. Our divorce should not be complicated,” lawyers for Doherty wrote in court documents obtained by US Weekly.

“It is abundantly clear to me that Kurt is intentionally delaying settlement in hopes that I will not survive the divorce proceedings.”

Doherty said she’d been unable to work since 2022 due to her deteriorating condition, and was solely living off residual income from the 90s TV show Charmed.

However, the popular series stopped streaming on major platforms June 30, meaning her royalties would “dramatically decrease” going forward.

Doherty ultimately agreed to waive spousal support and to a “default or uncontested dissolution” of their marriage on July 12, which indicates the former couple settled their split outside of court.

Iswarienko signed the document on Saturday, July 13 — the day Doherty died.

Doherty was diagnosed in 2015.

Doherty had been candid about her personal struggles over the years, particularly regarding her ugly divorce from Iswarienko.

On the debut episode of her new podcast, Let’s Be Clear with Shannen Doherty in December, the actress shared how she had surgery to remove a brain tumour in January 2023 after learning her husband had allegedly cheated on her.

Iswarienko has never commented on the allegation.

“I went into that surgery early in the morning and I went in after I found out that my marriage was essentially over, that my husband had been carrying on an affair for two years,” Doherty said.

“To not go in that surgery, even though, being very clear, he wanted to go, I couldn’t go into that surgery with him there. I felt so betrayed.”

Doherty’s longtime publicist Leslie Sloane announced news of her death at the weekend in a statement.

“It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the passing of actress Shannen Doherty. On Saturday, July 13, she lost her battle with cancer after many years of fighting the disease,” she said to People.

“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.”

Doherty’s Charmed co-stars were among the first celebs to pay tribute.

Holly Marie Combs, Shannen Doherty and Alyssa Milano starred in Charmed.

Rose McGowan described her friend and former co-star as having “the heart of a lion”.

“This woman fought to live. Shannen knew how to be a star because she was one since childhood. Her work ethic inspiring to the end. We laughed at dark forces who wanted us to hate each other, instead we chose love and respect. A soft-hearted bada** as there ever was.”

Fellow Charmed co-star Alyssa Milano, who had a well-documented feud with Doherty, chose her words carefully. “It’s no secret that Shannen and I had a complicated relationship, but at its core was someone I deeply respected and was in awe of. She was a talented actress, beloved by many, and the world is less without her. My condolences to all who loved her,” she wrote.