Always there for her. Jason Priestley showed support for his former Beverly Hills, 90210 costar (and onscreen twin!) Shannen Doherty, who’s publicly battling breast cancer. At the Raising the Bar to End Parkinson’s Fundraiser in Studio City, California, the actor commended Doherty for her resilience.
“I follow Shannen on social media. I send her lots of love on social media. I have every faith that Shannen will come through this and beat it,” Priestley, who starred with Doherty for four seasons of the Fox series, told reporters on the Wednesday, July 27, red carpet. “Shannen has always been a tough kid, a fighter. I know she’s very strong and she’ll beat this. I got nothing but love for Shannen in my heart, and I send her nothing but love and light. I know that Shannen is going to beat this.”
Doherty, 45, revealed her diagnosis in August 2015 after documents from a lawsuit against her former business management firm surfaced. The invasive breast cancer allegedly spread because her healthcare expenses weren’t adequately covered by her health insurance. On Monday, July 25, she shared a photo of her completely shaved head after documenting the process on Instagram five days prior.
“Thank you to these three who helped me thru an impossibly tough day and continue to be there every minute supporting and loving me,” she captioned on July 25, posing with her mom, Rosa Elizabeth Doherty, and two friends. “[My husband] @kurtiswarienko was in Mexico working but knew he left me in good hands. @annemkortright @chriscortazzo #mamarosa I love you. #mycrew #thisisasquad.”
The photo speaks to qualities that Priestley reflected on. “I got a lot of memories of Shannen being a fighter!” he continued, laughing. “She’s strong and she’s a tough kid. I know that she’s going to beat this.”
