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Actress Shannen Doherty recently opened up about her battle with Stage-4 cancer during an appearance on Good Morning America. The Beverly Hills, 90210 star was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015.
She documented her fight with the disease on Instagram and announced she was in remission in April 2017. Unfortunately, in February 2020, the actress revealed that her condition returned in 2019 in the form of incurable Stage 4 metastatic cancer.
Despite her ongoing battle, the 50-year-old has continued to enjoy a thriving career. Speaking to ABC’s Juju Chang, Shannen Doherty shared how work has become “more fulfilling” since the diagnosis:
“I think work was always very fulfilling to me, but in a way it’s become even more fulfilling. A lot of people who get diagnosed with stage 4, they sort of get written off. It’s assumed that they cannot work or they can’t work at their full capacity and that is not true and that is something that I would really like for people to sort of stop assuming, and give us a chance to prove them wrong.”
The Charmed actress also spoke about her ongoing treatment and discussed her willingness to continue the fight for life:
“I am still on my first protocol, which is a very, very, very big thing. You just want to last on your protocols as long as possible, so you don’t run out of protocols… A bucket list almost feels like those are things to check off before you die, and I never want to operate like that. I just want to operate as, I don’t have things to check off because I’m going to keep fighting to stay alive.”
In another interview with Variety, Shannen Doherty mentioned that she has received immense support from her friends and family:
“I have an amazing family. And when I say “family,” it’s all-encompassing — my friends are my family. And obviously, there’s my mom and my husband, and everybody is just awesome. No one in my immediate circle looks at me differently. None of them treat me differently. It’s just me… And I think having normal in your life is important when you’re dealing with something that’s not normal.”
Shannen Doherty has been married to Kurt Iswarienko since 2011. She previously mentioned that her relationship with her husband had strengthened post the diagnosis.
Everything to know about Shannen Doherty’s husband, Kurt Iswarienko
Kurt Iswarienko is a professional photographer and has been associated with the entertainment industry for more than two decades. He has worked in the camera and electrical department in several Hollywood films and TV shows.
He has been part of prominent projects like Pirates of the Caribbean, Clockstoppers, The Pandora Project and Grosse Pointe Blank, among others. According to Suggest, he has also done photoshoots with artists like Leonardo DiCaprio, Pink and Machine Gun Kelly.
Shannen Doherty reportedly met the photographer in 2008. The duo started dating after the latter’s divorce with then-wife, Taryn Band. Shannen was previously married to Ashley Hamilton but the couple called it quits just five months after their wedding.
She has also wed poker champion Rick Salomon in the past but the relationship was annulled after nine months of marriage. However, Shannen finally found love with Kurt Iswarienko and the couple has been inseparable since their union.
Shannen Doherty and Kurt Iswarienko tied the knot in 2011, and their wedding was documented in the eight-episode WeTV series Shannen Says. The duo have been together for nearly a decade.
During a 2019 interview with People, Shannen Doherty mentioned that her cancer diagnosis has “solidified” her relationship with Kurt:
"Cancer solidified us. Kurt and I have a much deeper appreciation for each other now. We don't let a night go by mad at each other. The last time we had a big argument was pre-cancer. Cancer alters the people in your life. And it's shaped both of us. We look at life very differently now."
Shannen Doherty also called the photographer her “rock” through the struggles of life:
“He was my rock in every way possible, and he made sure I knew how much he loved and valued me. We have a much deeper appreciation [for each other] now, and a much larger capacity for forgiveness.”
As the acclaimed actress continues her fight with Stage-4 cancer, her bond with her husband is stronger than ever. On the career front, Shannen Doherty will appear in two films this month, Dying to Belong and List of a Lifetime.
