Shannen Doherty's doctor details 'sad' but 'beautiful' final moments before 'Charmed' actress' death
Shannen Doherty's oncologist, Dr. Lawrence D. Piro, revealed the details of the actress' final moments. He shared that he was surrounded by loved ones.
Shannen Doherty's oncologist, Dr. Lawrence D. Piro, was by her side until her final moments. Piro revealed in an interview with People magazine that the "Charmed" star was surrounded by loved ones in the last hours of her life.
"In the last few hours, she was in a place where she was very comfortable and sleeping and transitioning, and she was surrounded by some of her very close friends," Piro told the outlet.
"The room was surrounded by a select group of friends that were giving her a lot of care and support. 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."
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Doherty died on Saturday, July 13, at age 53, after her battle with breast cancer.
Piro was someone who Doherty was close to for many years of her life. He shared with People that she was someone very proactive in her treatment journey, always seeking answers.
"Whenever she learned some new fact or some new idea in her medical journey, she would immediately call me or forward something to me, and we would discuss it and see whether it had any relevance to her scenario and where it would fit into the scheme of things for her," he recalled of the actress.
"I was always amazed with the way in which she could separate her own emotions about being so young and being on such a difficult journey from the fact-finding part. She was so razor-focused and level-headed about those things."
Doherty often gave her doctor public praise. In September 2016, she advised her followers on Instagram "to find a doctor who listens to you and appreciates your concerns," adding that "Not every cancer patient is the same."
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"Also, it took me a lot of meetings to find my dream team. Don't settle," Doherty wrote.
Doherty first received her diagnosis in 2015, and went into remission in 2017. In 2020, she revealed that her cancer had returned.
On a June 2024 episode of her "Let's Be Clear with Shannen Doherty" podcast, which she started in 2023, she spoke about her decision to receive another round of chemotherapy.
"We kept going until we couldn't go anymore," Piro said to People. "The last conversation that we had, she was in the process of realizing that things had taken a pretty significant turn. The conversation was about love and support and caring and still fighting through. She wanted to continue to take treatment and fight through, even though her physical condition had taken a bit of a downturn. And so we did."
During the last few weeks of her life, Piro told the outlet that Doherty had "a limited situation of options."
Even so, they still had talks about what could be done.
"She was an incredible warrior in everything she did," Piro said of the "Beverly Hills, 90210" actress.
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"Things turned much more difficult in the last couple of weeks, and that's when it became clear that it was heading in a different direction," Piro explained to the outlet. "We continued to fight while putting in more support, and we just kept loving and hoping and supporting."
The news of Doherty's death was announced by her publicist, Leslie Sloane.
"It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the passing of actress, Shannen Doherty. On Saturday, July 13th she lost her battle with cancer after many years of fighting the disease. The devoted daughter, sister, aunt and friend was surrounded by her loved ones as well as her dog, Bowie," she said in a statement.
"The family asks for their privacy at this time so they can grieve in peace."
With the news of her passing, many of Doherty's TV co-stars honored the actress with touching tributes.
Jason Priestley, who starred with Doherty on "Beverly Hills, 90210," shared a sweet message on Instagram expressing his sorrow.
"She was a force of nature and I will miss her. Sending love and light to her family in this dark time."
More of Doherty's "Beverly Hills, 90210" co-stars, including Carol Potter, Gabrielle Carteris, Brian Austin Green, Tori Spelling, Jennie Garth and James Eckhouse, also shared words of love and sympathy.
Sophie Perry, daughter of Luke Perry, shared an old photo of her father with Doherty from "Beverly Hills, 90210" on an Instagram Story with a single heart as the caption.
Luke was a close friend and co-star of Doherty's who died in 2019.
Many of Doherty's "Charmed" cast members also shared words of love for Doherty after her death, such as Alyssa Milano, Rose McGowen, Brian Krause and Ted King.