These cast members are sticking together and supporting one another in a trying time. Jason Priestley appeared on Australia’s Studio 10 on the morning of Tuesday, September 22, and shared with co-host Angela Bishop the latest update on Shannen Doherty‘s battle with stage four breast cancer. “I reach out to Shannen every few months, just to check in on her and say hi,” Jason, who co-starred with Shannen on Beverly Hills, 90210 from 1990 until her exit in 1994, told the correspondent.
“Shannen’s a real tough girl, and Shannen’s a fighter and she’s always been a fighter. And I know that she will continue to fight as hard as she can. Last time I heard from her, she was in pretty good spirits,” the actor continued, leaving fans with some much needed hope for Shannen’s continuing battle with breast cancer.
Jason’s update comes roughly seven months after Shannen announced that her cancer had returned, and she had been battling the disease for roughly one year. “I don’t think that I’ve processed it,” she admitted on Good Morning America in February. “It’s a bitter pill to swallow. There are days when I say…why me? But then I go…well, why not me? Who else besides me deserves this? None of us do. I would say that my first reaction is always concern about how I’m going to tell my mom and my husband.”The actress’s first battle with breast cancer came in March 2015. Shannen underwent a number of treatments, including anti-estrogen treatment, in order to shrink her tumors that had spread to her lymph nodes. She also endured chemotherapy and radiotherapy well into 2016. But by April 2017, there seemed to be hope and Shannen revealed that she was in remission.
As fans know, however, Shannen’s cancer returned and she battled the disease while filming the latest iteration of 90210, which aired in mid-2019. The cast of 90210 as well as Shannen’s former Charmed cast mates — Rose McGowan and Alyssa Milano — sent Shannen so much love following her heartbreaking announcement in February. Jason and Shannen have known each other since the late ’80s, and worked closely on the original Beverly Hills, 90210 for roughly half of a decade as Brenda Walsh and Brandon Walsh. All of these years later, it’s touching to see Jason still supporting his beloved friend and former co-worker.