A year after Shannen Doherty's death, her former "Beverly Hills, 90210" and "Charmed" co-stars, including Tori Spelling and Ian Ziering, shared heartfelt tributes to the late actress.
Doherty, who died at age 53 on July 13, 2024, after years of battling cancer, was remembered for her fierce spirit and impactful legacy.
In an emotional Instagram post Sunday, Spelling wrote a lengthy note reflecting on her grief and the lessons Doherty taught her.
"It's been a year," she wrote in the caption. "Grief is weird. It presents itself in different ways and at different times but never fades. Just like your memory. In fact, it burns epically in my soul more and more as the days pass."
"You always told me to stop apologizing for myself. To stop playing small. To stop trying to be palatable when I was born to be powerful," she continued. "You taught me to turn my power on and let it shine. Some people will sit in the uncomfortableness of the brightness while others will be empowered by my flame."
Jennie Garth says late '90210' costars Luke Perry and Shannen Doherty are 'alive in my mind'Spelling wrote that she has honored Doherty since her death by embracing her own power, speaking her truth, being vulnerable and more.
"For me, your legacy lives on in my aura. In the space I now try to take up unapologetically. This isn't closure. This is continuation," she wrote.
She concluded, "And I promise -- the torch you passed is lit… I love you forever Shan xo stay wild. stay rebellious. your power is your cause."
Ziering, who starred alongside Doherty on "Beverly Hills, 90210," also posted a tribute to Instagram on Sunday, recalling how he once believed Doherty would triumph over cancer.
"When I first heard she was sick, we had nearly a decade more with her. 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 wrote in the caption.
"Every time I saw her during those years, she was still Shan -- fierce, funny, full of life. That's why her passing hit me like a freight train. I was shocked. I truly believed she was going to pull off one more miracle."
Shannen Doherty's mother talks grief: 'A child should never go before a parent'Ziering said he chose not to post when she died, noting that "grief isn't a performance. It's personal."
"I miss Shannen. We clashed now and then in the early years of 90210 -- two strong personalities will do that -- but we always had respect," he recalled. "I was the wisecracking comic relief; she was the beautiful chaos, the after-hours headline, the girl who could trash a hotel room and make the tabloids love her for it. (Stop laughing, Shan. You know it's true.)"
He went on to reminisce about the memories they had together as they got older, including their time at a Chippendales show in Vegas, adding, "It was one of those nights that stays with you."
"So, my dear Shannen -- I think of you often. Your grit. Your fire. Your kind heart that so few really got to see. I still carry all of it with me," he wrote. "Rest easy, Shan. ❤️."
Doherty's fellow WB star Sarah Michelle Gellar -- both "Charmed" and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" aired on the network at the same time in the late '90s and early 2000s -- also shared an Instagram post Sunday, paying tribute to Doherty.
Set to Wiz Khalifa's "See You Again," the post featured a montage of photos of Gellar and Doherty over the years, including snapshots of them hugging, horseback riding and baking pies.
She captioned the post with a simple broken heart emoji.
Former "Charmed" star Holly Marie Combs also posted a tribute to Doherty on Instagram.
"It's been a year but it's been a minute for me," she captioned the post, which featured a carousel of photos of the two actresses together over the years.
She added, "You still light the way for so many. And you are missed by so many."
