Just over five years after the 2019 death of Beverly Hills 90210 heartthrob Luke Perry, his former TV love interest Shannen Doherty passed away after years of suffering from cancer that stemmed back to her return as Brenda for the BH90210 revival. It’s somehow been a full year since the actress died, with several of her friends and former screen-mates once again paying tribute. Or, in the case of Ian Ziering, it marked a time to share his thoughts publicly for the first time.
In the aftermath of Doherty’s death in July 2024, the Internet mourned in the usual way, with celebrity posts and fan-shared videos from her best movie and TV performances. (That clip of her, Luke Perry and Matthew Perry still hits.) When Sharknado vet Ian Ziering didn’t immediately air out his feelings online, some fans were quick to get critical and gossipy regarding the possible reasons why. He addressed that response in a touching and heartfelt Instagram post reflecting on the past year, saying:
When she died a year ago, I didn’t post anything. And yes, some people criticized that. To them I say: grief isn’t a performance. It’s personal. Let people grieve how they grieve.
Ziering shared that Shannen first became sick nearly a decade before she died, and throughout that time, he perhaps took for granted that she would power through and survive at every step of the way. So that whenever the time came and the worst outcome happened, the actor couldn't properly believe it in the moment.
Ziering continued, addressing the fact that he and the rest of the surviving Beverly Hills 90210 alums still get together, but that doing so in more recent years has been tougher now that two from the group have passed. In his words:
Over the past year, I’ve seen my old castmates a few times. It’s been hard being together without her—and Luke. That kind of loss doesn’t fade. It just rearranges the furniture in your heart.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.
Of course, one of the reasons why Shannen Doherty's 90210 era remains so memorable is due to how relatively short-lived it was. The young actress quickly (and arguably unfairly) gained a reputation for her attitude and behavior behind the scenes, leading to her exiting the show while simultaneously becoming tabloid fodder.
The public has since come to view her 90210 years in a different light, as she shined her own spotlight on the troubles she faced in regards to studio execs in those years. And in closing out his mournful message, Ian Ziering spoke to that take-no-bullshit spark that was so synonymous with Shannen Doherty throughout her career.
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.
Unfortunately, Doherty was inevitably left out of the In Memoriam segment during the Oscars telecast in March, which earned critical responses from not just Jennie Garth, but also from Tori Spelling.
Tori Spelling And More Pay Tribute One Year After Shannen Doherty's Death
Tori Spelling shared a touching post reflecting on a year without her lifelong friend, while members from Doherty's Charmed fam, Rose McGowan and Holly Marie Combs, also shared kind words.
- TORI SPELLING: It’s been a year. 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 and I already told the beginning of our story. The evolution of our story. Now I’m living the after. The part where I carry everything you taught me.
- ROSE MCGOWAN: One year today you had to fly, but we on the physical plane of existence, think about you every day with love and gratitude.
- HOLLY MARIE COMBS: It's been a year but it's been a minute for me. You still light the way for so many. And you are missed by so many. Thank you to everyone who did a #shandosunday post or prayer or just a passing thought. She would be so pleased. 🤍
For those wishing to pay tribute by streaming Brenda Walsh’s biggest Beverly Hills 90210 highlights, the classic ‘90s drama is streaming with a Paramount+ subscription.
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