The actress was initially diagnosed in 2015 and went into remission following treatment.
Actress Shannen Doherty has revealed she was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer a year ago and kept the diagnosis out of the public eye while filming the reboot of "90210."
"It's going to come out in a matter of days or a week that — I'm stage four. So my cancer came back," Doherty said in a interview that aired on "Good Morning America" Tuesday. "I don't think I've processed it. It's a bitter pill to swallow in a lot of ways."
Doherty, 48, starred as Brenda in the hit teen drama series "Beverly Hills, 90210." Other roles included Jenny in "Little House on the Prairie" and Prue in "Charmed."
She was initially diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015, but went into remission following treatment, which she documented on social media.
This time, however, Doherty kept the diagnosis private while working on the set of the reboot of "90210." She wanted to show others that she could still work and that life "doesn't end the minute we get that diagnosis," she said in the interview.
For Doherty, continuing with the reboot was also about honoring former castmate Luke Perry, who died suddenly of a massive stroke four months before the start of shooting in 2019.
"It's so weird for me to be diagnosed and then somebody who was, you know, seemingly healthy to go first," Doherty said. "It was really, like, shocking. And the least I could do to honor him was to do that show. I still haven't done, in my opinion. So it's a hard one."
Doherty said she came forward with the diagnosis now because of a pending court case with the insurance company State Farm about damage to her home from the 2018 Woolsey Fire.
"I'd rather people hear it from me," she said. "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. And I want to control the narrative."
Doherty sued State Farm last year, claiming she was forced to pay for losses she believes should be covered by insurance.
"I communicated with my insurance company, I called, I got passed around from claims adjuster to claims adjuster, so I ended up suing State Farm,” Doherty told "Good Morning America." "And the result has been one of the most horrific processes I have ever been through.”
State Farm says it has already paid Doherty nearly $1.1 million in claims, ABC News reported, citing court documents. The company said that it paid what it owes and is prepared to defend their position in court.
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