Jennie Garth: “Luke Perry and Shannen Doherty Live On in My Thoughts”
Jennie Garth continues to grapple with the tragic losses of Luke Perry and Shannen Doherty.
The 52-year-old actress discussed the passing of her Beverly Hills, 90210 co-stars during her appearance on the “Two Jersey Js” podcast, hosted by The Real Housewives of New Jersey’s Jackie Goldschneider and Jennifer Fessler, on Wednesday, March 26.
“It doesn’t make sense. It’s still incomprehensible to me,” Garth reflected on the deaths of Perry and Doherty. “In my mind, they are still alive, which makes it incredibly difficult to accept that they are no longer here physically.”
Garth portrayed Kelly Taylor on the iconic Fox teen drama from 1990 to 2000, spanning all 10 seasons. Doherty was Brenda Walsh for the first four seasons, and Perry took on the role of Dylan McKay for seasons 1 to 6, returning for the final two seasons 9 and 10.
Perry passed away at the age of 52 in March 2019 following a massive stroke, while Doherty lost her battle with cancer in July 2024, at the age of 53.
In the previous year, Garth expressed that the deaths of her co-stars had a significant impact on her life.
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“I felt a wave of fear wash over me, especially with Luke’s passing and now Shannen’s,” Garth shared with Tori Spelling on their “90210MG” podcast last July. “It just feels like any one of us could go at any moment. That’s a terrifying thought.”
“It’s like losing a foundational piece,” Garth reflected, discussing Perry, her on-screen love interest for many years. “No one can truly grasp that unless they experienced it with us during that time.”
She also noted that Doherty’s passing evoked similar sentiments. “It’s unbelievable that we could feel shocked knowing she was unwell and was fighting so hard, but it truly was shocking,” she admitted.
Before her passing in July 2024, Shannen Doherty established a successful career in film and television. Born in Memphis in April 1971, she began as a child star on Little House on the Prairie and later starred in the dark comedy film Heathers. Doherty’s fame continued to rise as […]
The actress expressed that she “never imagined [Doherty] would lose her battle with cancer” because of her tenacity. (Doherty was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015, and the disease returned aggressively in 2020 after a period of remission.)
“It was absolutely shocking and left you feeling a mix of emotions—anger, sadness, disbelief—because she was the one person you couldn’t picture going through this,” Garth added.
Following the announcement of Shannen Doherty’s death, Us Weekly is reflecting on her most memorable moments portraying the beloved character Brenda Walsh. Doherty gained popularity as one of the Walsh twins on the ‘90s drama Beverly Hills, 90210 for four seasons. Although she departed after season 4, the actress later reprised her iconic role as […]
Despite the heartbreak of losing another friend from their 90210 family, Garth stated that she drew “a lot of strength” from having “grown up” alongside Doherty.
“I learned so much from her about advocating for myself and standing firm in my beliefs,” Garth shared about her late friend. “I also observed her expressing what she felt needed to be said, and it inspired me to be the kind of person who uses her voice and speaks her truth.”
