Doctor details Shannen Doherty’s ‘sad’ and ‘beautiful’ final moments before her death

Shannen Doherty’s doctor and close friend has detailed the Beverly Hills, 90210 star’s “last few hours” before her death.

Shannen Doherty’s doctor and close friend detailed the “last few hours” before her death on Saturday.

The 53-year-old actress was “surrounded by some of her very close friends,” Dr. Lawrence D. Piro told People two days after her passing.

“She was in a place where she was very comfortable and sleeping and transitioning,” he recalled on Monday, noting that the “select group” of loved ones gave her “a lot of care and support.”

Shannen Doherty's doctor has revealed the star’s final moments before her death.

The oncologist added, “It was somber and sad, but beautiful and loving. The hardest thing about this was that she wasn’t ready to leave because she loved life.”

News broke on Sunday that the Charmed star had lost her battle to breast cancer after nearly a decade fighting the disease.

Doherty was first diagnosed in 2015 and announced two years later that she was in remission.

The cancer returned in 2019 — and Piro explained to the outlet that her condition started “heading in a different direction … in the last couple of weeks.”

Dr. Lawrence D. Piro described Doherty’s last hours alive as “sad” and “beautiful”. Picture: Rick Kern/Getty Images

He said, “Things turned much more difficult. … We continued to fight while putting in more support and we just kept loving and hoping and supporting.”

Piro explained that Doherty was an “incredible warrior” who continued to fight “within [the] limitations” of her declining health, as opposed to doing “nothing.”

He clarified, “That wasn’t even open for discussion, because that’s not how Shannen lived. … She fought so hard.

“And she didn’t believe that it would ever be over, which kind of makes everybody around you believe that, too, because you want to believe that,” Piro continued.

Doherty battled cancer for the first time in 2015. Picture: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

She went into remission in 2017, only for the cancer to return as stage 4 in 2020. Picture: Getty

Doherty has been honoured with many touching tributes since her passing.

The Beverly Hills, 90210 star’s mum, Rosa Doherty, broke her silence on Monday, telling People that she felt “truly appreciative” of “everyone who has shown love and support for our Shannen throughout her life.”

Doherty’s ex-husband Ashley Hamilton, for his part, called her a “guardian angel” while speaking to TMZ.

The Heathers star was also previously married to Kurt Iswarienko, settling their divorce one day before her death.

The former couple split in 2023, with Piro claiming the “emotional” break-up “was draining [Doherty’s] ability to continue to fight on the medical side.”

This article originally appeared in Page Six and was reproduced with permission

Originally published as Doctor details Shannen Doherty’s ‘sad’ and ‘beautiful’ final moments before her death