Shannen Doherty has died following a long battle with cancer, PEOPLE has confirmed. She was 53.

“It is with a sorrowful heart that I report the death of actress Shannen Doherty. Doherty’s longtime publicist Leslie Sloane revealed in an exclusive statement to PEOPLE on Sunday, July 14, that she died of cancer on Saturday, July 13, after many years of fighting the disease.

Her loved ones, including her dog, Bowie, surrounded the beloved daughter, sister, aunt, and friend. “The family requests privacy at this time so that they can grieve in peace,” Sloane said.

The Beverly Hills 90210 star was originally diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015 and talked honestly to PEOPLE in November 2023 about her Stage 4 breast cancer, which had spread to her bones, adding that she didn’t “want to die.”

“I am not done living. I’m not done with love. I’m not finished with making it. “I’m not done hoping to change things for the better,” she told PEOPLE. “I’m just not done.”

Following her 2015 diagnosis, the actress announced in April 2017 that she had gone into remission, but by 2019, the cancer had returned. The following year, Doherty revealed she had metastatic stage 4 cancer. Then, in June 2023, the actress revealed that the cancer had spread to her brain and that she had had surgery.

In June 2023, she revealed on Instagram that the disease had spread to her brain and that she had undergone surgery five months prior to remove a brain tumor dubbed Bob.

“He had to be removed and dissected to determine his pathology,” she told PEOPLE in August 2023. “It was definitely one of the scariest things I’ve ever been through in my entire life.”

Despite this, the actress remained motivated to work while battling cancer.

“People believe that implies you can’t move, eat, or work. They send you out to pasture at a young age, saying, ‘You’re done, you’re retired,’ but we’re not,” she said, adding, “We’re energetic, and we have such a different perspective on life. We are folks that want to work, enjoy life, and move forward.”

Indeed, before her death, Doherty planned to raise awareness and finances for cancer research while also demonstrating to others that people with terminal diseases, like herself, can still contribute significantly.

“When you question yourself, ‘Why me? “Why did I develop cancer?” and “Why did my cancer come back?” are important questions to ask yourself. “The question ‘Why am I in stage 4?’ leads you to seek a greater purpose in life,” she explained.

Her honest statements paralleled those she made in a 2020 Good Morning America interview with Amy Robach, in which she was as pragmatic.

“I definitely have days where I say, ‘Why me?'” Doherty informed Robach of her current condition. “And then I say, ‘Why not me?’ ” Who else? Who else outside of me deserves this?

Although she received kudos for publicly discussing her disease later in life, Doherty soared to prominence as Brenda Walsh on the original Beverly Hills, 90210, which debuted in October 1990.

The actress quit the program after the fourth season, in 1994. (She later returned to the character with many cameo appearances in the 2008 remake of 90210.)

Doherty’s success on Beverly Hills led to her casting in Charmed as Prue Halliwell, the eldest of three witch sisters. She quit the series at the end of the third season in 2001, after starring in it and directing many episodes.

Doherty worked consistently throughout her career, and she even dabbled in reality television with the short-lived Breaking Up with Shannen Doherty and her appearance on Dancing with the Stars.

In 2019, she agreed to join the TV relaunch of Beverly Hills, 90210, playing an adult version of the role that made her famous.

Though the actress stated that she was informed of her condition, she kept it a secret from the cast after the untimely death of her co-star Luke Perry in March 2019, aged 52.

Doherty said on Good Morning America, “It’s so weird for me to get the diagnosis and then somebody who was, you know, seemingly healthy to go first.” “It was really, like, shocking.”

Doherty stated that participation in the TV relaunch, which aired on Fox, was the “least I could do” to remember Perry, as well as a chance to demonstrate her ability to continue working despite her health.

“One of the reasons, along with Luke, that I did 90210 and didn’t really tell anybody [was] because I thought, people could look at that [as] people with stage 4 could work too,” she recalled.

Her other cast members commented on her resilience, with Brian Austin Green praising her in an interview with PEOPLE.

“Shannen is absolutely leading by example, showing people that even in the toughest of times, you can keep your head up and be a good person,” according to Austin Green. “And she is: She’s an amazing person and an inspiration.”

Most eloquently, Doherty discussed her love of life in her 2023 PEOPLE interview, her thankfulness for the opportunity to get up and spend time with her family, friends, and dog, and her optimistic outlook on the future.

“My greatest memory is yet to come,” she told People. “I prayed. I get up and go to bed, thankful to God, praying for the things that are important to me without asking for too much. It connects me to a greater force and spirituality. “My faith is my mantra.”

She explained how cancer has increased her awareness of life and the world around her.

“I know that sounds corny and weird, but you’re simply more conscious of everything, and you feel really fortunate. We’re the individuals that want to work the hardest because we’re appreciative for every second, hour, and day we get to spend here.”