Shannen Doherty is battling a recurrence of breast cancer that has progressed to stage four, telling fans “it’s a bitter pill to swallow.”
“I definitely have days where I say, ‘Why me?’ And then I go, ‘Well, why not me? Who else? Who else besides me deserves this?’ None of us do,” Doherty told “Good Morning America” on Tuesday. “I don’t think I’ve processed it. It’s a bitter pill to swallow in a lot of ways.”
The actress from “Charmed” and “Beverly Hills, 90210” first revealed she had breast cancer in 2015 and charted her battle with the disease and its remission on social media.
She said one reason she came forward to say it has returned is because her health conditions could come out in court. The actress has sued insurance giant State Farm after her California home was damaged in a fire in 2018.
“I’d rather people hear it from me. I don’t want it to be twisted. I don’t want it to be a court document. I want it to be real and authentic,” Doherty said. “I want people to know from me, I just didn’t want them to know yet.”
In a court filing Tuesday, her lawyers argue Doherty has been forced to pay out of pocket for losses she believes should be covered by her insurance policy. “Plaintiff Shannen Doherty is dying of stage 4 terminal cancer. Instead of living out her remaining years peacefully in her home, Ms. Doherty remains displaced and battling with her insurance company,” they argue.
“We empathize with Ms. Doherty’s health issues and wish her a full recovery,” State Farm said in a statement. “We strongly believe we have upheld our commitment to our customer and have paid what we owe on this claim. We are prepared to defend our position in court.”
Doherty, 48, has been working on the show “BH90210” and kept the diagnosis mostly secret. “People with stage four can work, too. Our life doesn’t end the minute we get that diagnosis. We still have some living to do,” she said.