Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Sarah Michelle Gellar has paid tribute to her close friend Shannen Doherty, following her death aged 53.
Doherty passed away on Sunday (July 14) following a nine-year battle with breast cancer.
The actor announced she was in remission in 2017, before confirming her cancer had returned and progressed to stage 4 in 2020. Last June, Doherty announced that the cancer had further spread, and a scan had detected metastasis in her brain.
Geller took to Instagram on Monday (July 15) to commemorate her friend of 30 years with a series of photos of them together.
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"How do you possibly find the right words to sum up 30 years of friendship? I keep reminding myself it only hurts this much because, there was so much love," she wrote.
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"Thank you, for all your kind words and support. I love all the messages about how @theshando was important to you. So let's honour her.
"More than anything Shan loves animals, especially dogs. In her memory let's support her favourite animal charities. Whether that's donating money, stopping by your local shelter and just offering cuddles and walks to animals housed there or even just tagging them in the comments so other people can learn about their work."
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"I know that would make our girl happy (and illicit that deep throaty laugh we all loved)," Gellar concluded, alongside a group of broken heart emojis.
Doherty was best known for playing Prue Halliwell in supernatural series Charmed. She was also known for her role as Brenda Walsh on Beverly Hills, 90210 and its subsequent spin-offs.
Her death was announced by her publicist Leslie Sloane, who said she was a "devoted daughter, sister, aunt and friend [who] was surrounded by her loved ones as well as her dog, Bowie."
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Following the sad news, several of Doherty's former co-stars shared tributes honouring her memory.
Charmed star Alyssa Milano said in a statement: "It's no secret that Shannen and I had a complicated relationship, but at its core [she] was someone I deeply respected and was in awe of. She was a talented actress, beloved by many and the world is less without her. My condolences to all who loved her."
Jason Priestley, who played Doherty's twin brother on 90210, was also among those paying tribute, saying he was "shocked and saddened to hear about the passing of my friend Shannen".
He added: "She was a force of nature and I will miss her. Sending love and light to her family in this dark time."
Sara is an entertainment journalist who specialises in TV and film. After studying journalism at the University of Roehampton, Sara joined Digital Spy in 2023, writing news (and the occasional feature) on all things entertainment. She has also written for the culture desk at The Evening Standard. A lover of all things TV and film, Sara can wax lyrical about everything from Bridgerton to The Witcher. She can also recite entire episodes of New Girl, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Parks and Recreation. In her spare time, Sara loves to knit, crochet and cross-stitch. Also a musical theatre aficionado, Sara counts Samantha Barks as one of her heroes and is a loyal fan of Jodie Comer.
