Shannen Doherty does not want any more stress in her life amid her battle with stage IV breast cancer, but her insurance company is apparently getting in the way.
The Beverly Hills, 90210 alum, 48, filed a lawsuit against State Farm in which she states that she is “dying” of terminal cancer, according to court documents obtained by TMZ on Tuesday, February 4. Her attorney reportedly says in the suit that Doherty is unable to live “her remaining years peacefully in her home” because of her ongoing legal battle with the insurance company.
Doherty revealed earlier on Tuesday that her cancer has returned. She said on Good Morning America that she decided to go public with the news sooner than she planned because she knew it was “going to come out in a matter of days or a week” as part of her lawsuit.
“I’d rather people hear it from me,” she told Amy Robach. “I don’t want it to be twisted. I don’t want it to be a court document. I want it to be real and authentic. And I want to control the narrative. I want people to know from me. I just didn’t want them to know yet.”
The actress said in the interview that she sued State Farm after her California home was damaged in the Woolsey Fire in 2018. She claimed she has been forced to pay out of pocket even though she believes her losses should have been covered by her insurance policy.
State Farm alleged in court documents obtained by ABC News that it paid nearly $1.1 million to clean and repair Doherty’s home and provided temporary housing and furniture rental in the interim.
“We empathize with Ms. Doherty’s health issues and wish her a full recovery,” the company said in a statement to Us Weekly on Tuesday. “We strongly believe we have upheld our commitment to our customer and have paid what we owe on this claim. We are prepared to defend our position in court.”
The Charmed alum was first diagnosed with breast cancer in March 2015. After undergoing chemotherapy, she announced in April 2017 that she was in remission.
Although the disease has recurred in a more aggressive form, Doherty is trying to stay positive. She shared a meme via Instagram on Tuesday of Charlie Brown saying, “We only live once, Snoopy.” In response, the Peanuts character’s trusty sidekick responds, “Wrong! We only die once. We live every day!”
