Shannen Doherty Thought She ‘Had More Time’ Before Her Death

Shannen Doherty passed away after her battle with breast cancer, and prior to her death, the Hollywood star always remained optimistic about her cancer treatment.

Her “Charmed” co-star, Holly Marie Combs, recently shared that Doherty didn’t believe the end was near and felt she had more time. However, the late actress’ oncologist noted that she was comfortable and loved in her final hours.

In 2023, Shannen Doherty expressed her desire to keep living, loving, and working, defying assumptions about her deadly illness.

In an interview with Brian Krause and Drew Fuller on the “House of Halliwell,” Combs shared that Doherty did not believe she was near the end before succumbing to breast cancer at the age of 53.

“I think she did as much as she could in the time that she had, but we did think we had more time,” the actress said, per Page Six.

“That’s the really sad part. We had big, big plans for this year. She didn’t think she was going anywhere anytime soon,” Combs added through tears. “It sounds terribly cliché … until it happens to you, you always think you have more time. Life changes on a dime.”

Doherty passed away on July 13, 2024, nearly a decade after her initial cancer diagnosis. Shortly after her death was announced,  Combs wrote a poignant tribute to her “better half.”

“There is a hollow in my chest and I can’t seem to catch my breath. A part of me is missing even though I know exactly what you would say to me right now,” Combs shared on Instagram, posting a series of photos of their years together.

She continued: “A fierce fighter til the end. My most ardent champion. My loyal protector. My best friend. You taught me the meaning of family. You were and will be forevermore my sister. I love you.”

Though Doherty believed she had “more time,” her longtime doctor and friend, Dr. Lawrence D. Piro, revealed that in her final hours, she was “very comfortable and sleeping and transitioning.”

Doherty was surrounded by a “select group” of loved ones who had offered her immense care and support throughout her cancer battle.

“It was somber and sad, but beautiful and loving,” the oncologist told People Magazine. “The hardest thing about this was that she wasn’t ready to leave because she loved life.”

Doherty was first diagnosed in 2015 and went into remission in 2017. However, the cancer returned in 2019, and in 2023, the “Beverly Hills, 90210” alum disclosed that the cancer had metastasized to her brain and bones.

Piro noted that her condition began “heading in a different direction.”

“Things turned much more difficult,” he shared. “We continued to fight while putting in more support and we just kept loving and hoping and supporting.”

Doherty’s passing was announced by her longtime publicist Leslie Sloane in a statement to People.

Sloane said, “It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the passing of actress Shannen Doherty. On Saturday, July 13, she lost her battle with cancer after many years of fighting the disease.”

The statement continued: “The devoted daughter, sister, aunt, and friend was surrounded by her loved ones as well as her dog, Bowie. The family asks for their privacy at this time so they can grieve in peace.”

In November 2023, Doherty spoke openly to People about her Stage 4 breast cancer, which had spread to her bones. At the time, she expressed her determination to keep fighting, saying she didn’t “want to die.”

“I’m not done with living. I’m not done with loving. I’m not done with creating. I’m not done with hopefully changing things for the better,” Doherty said. “I’m just not — I’m not done.”

Despite her diagnosis, Doherty was determined to keep working.

“People just assume that it means you can’t walk, you can’t eat, you can’t work. They put you out to pasture at a very early age —’You’re done, you’re retired,’ and we’re not,” she said, adding, “We’re vibrant, and we have such a different outlook on life. We are people who want to work and embrace life and keep moving forward.”

Before her death, Doherty’s final post on Instagram showed how optimistic she was about surviving cancer.

The actress shared a video clip on June 25 from an episode of her “Let’s Be Clear” podcast, where she talked about her chemotherapy and how it has been “scary” not knowing when it would end.

“I have no idea how long I’m going to be on the chemo for,” Doherty said. “I have no idea if it’s going to be three months or if it’s going to be six months or if we’re going to, you know, if, after three months, it’s not working if we are going to change again. Like, I don’t really [know]. That’s not something that I can predict. It’s not something my doctors can predict, and it’s scary. It’s like a big wake-up call.”

Doherty continued, “At the same time, I’ve got to say, there is some positivity there, and the positivity is that because [the] molecular structure of my cancer cells changed recently, it means that there’s a lot more protocols for me to try. So you know, for the first time, in a couple of months probably, I feel hopeful because there are so many more protocols now. Whereas, before, I was hopeful, but I was still getting prepared.”