Almost three years after announcing her cancer was in remission, actress Shannen Doherty has revealed a stage 4 breast cancer diagnosis.
"It's going to come out in a matter of days or a week that I have stage 4," the "Beverly Hills, 90210" star said in an interview with "Good Morning America." So my cancer came back, and that's why I'm here."
Doherty revealed her initial breast cancer diagnosis in the spring of 2015. At the time, the actress was outspoken about her diagnosis and documented her cancer battle on social media. When the cancer came back, she said she wanted to keep it a secret to prove she could still work. The actress was working on the "90210" reboot at the time.
The "Charmed" actress also said her former co-star, Luke Perry, also factored in her decision to keep her diagnosis a secret. Perry died after suffering a stroke just months before Doherty started working on "90210."
"One of the reasons, along with Luke -- that I did '90210' and didn't really tell anybody because I thought, people can look at that other people with stage four can work too. Like, you know, our life doesn't end the minute we get that diagnosis. We still have some living to do," she said.
Her announcement comes amid an ongoing lawsuit with State Farm insurance. Doherty is suing the company for damage done to her home during the 2018 California wildfires. She claims that she was forced to pay out of pocket for losses that should have been covered by her policy.
Doherty said she wanted to announce her diagnosis ahead of the trial, should details about her health come out during the case.
"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. "And I want to control the narrative. I want people to know from me, I just didn't want them to know yet."
