Shannen Doherty’s doctor and close friend detailed the “last few hours” before her death on Saturday.
The 53-year-old actress was “surrounded by some of her very close friends,” Dr. Lawrence D. Piro told People two days after her passing.
“She was in a place where she was very comfortable and sleeping and transitioning,” he recalled on Monday, noting that the “select group” of loved ones gave her “a lot of care and support.”
The oncologist added, “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.”
News broke on Sunday that the “Charmed” alum had lost her battle to breast cancer after nearly a decade fighting the disease.
Doherty was first diagnosed in 2015 and announced two years later that she was in remission.
The cancer returned in 2019 — and Piro explained to the outlet that her condition started “heading in a different direction … in the last couple of weeks.”
He said, “Things turned much more difficult. … We continued to fight while putting in more support and we just kept loving and hoping and supporting.”
Piro explained that Doherty was an “incredible warrior” who continued to fight “within [the] limitations” of her declining health, as opposed to doing “nothing.”
He clarified, “That wasn’t even open for discussion, because that’s not how Shannen lived. … She fought so hard.
“And she didn’t believe that it would ever be over, which kind of makes everybody around you believe that, too, because you want to believe that,” Piro continued.
Doherty has been honored with many touching tributes since her passing.
The “Beverly Hills, 90210” star’s mom, Rosa Doherty, broke her silence on Monday, telling People that she felt “truly appreciative” of “everyone who has shown love and support for our Shannen throughout her life.”
Doherty’s ex-husband Ashley Hamilton, for his part, called her a “guardian angel” while speaking to TMZ.
The “Heathers” star was also previously married to Kurt Iswarienko, settling their divorce one day before her death.
The former couple split in 2023, with Piro claiming the “emotional” breakup “was draining [Doherty’s] ability to continue to fight on the medical side.”
