Shannen Doherty, 52, has been battling breast cancer since 2015, and despite her ongoing health issues she still wants to find romance. During a recent interview with PEOPLE before Thanksgiving, the actress revealed that she is “open” to the idea of love once more. “I was not ready at all before three weeks ago,” she told the mag. “And something happens. There’s always a trigger, just a moment that you have, somebody says something to you, your ex says one thing to you and you’re like, ‘Okay, yeah, I’m good. I’m good.’ I have closure and I can move on in a really healthy way.”
Her revelation comes nearly eight months after she filed for divorce from Kurt Iswarienko. During the candid conversation with the outlet, Shannen also joked about her relationship with a dear friend of hers. “I have a best friend, a male best friend who we joke that we’re married,” she said. “I don’t know if it’s that or if it’s stumbling upon somebody and just feeling an instant connection. I’m open, and I wasn’t [before].”
Later, the Charmed alum revealed that she hopes to find love “soon” amid her ongoing cancer battle. “I don’t think I’m going to be single forever,” she went on to add. “I have to love myself and reckon with the past, really, before I can move forward, and now I’m pretty sure I’ll meet somebody — hopefully soon.” Shannen also poked fun at the recent end to her third marriage. “Listen, Elizabeth Taylor still has me beat as far as husbands and divorces, so I’m good,” she quipped. “I’m not there yet, so there’s no reason to be negative about it. S*** happens.”
In addition to being ready for love, Shannen also admitted that she would be open to motherhood. “I would love nothing more than to be a mom,” she explained. “I always wanted it, and I think if I did it with my best friend or a partner, then I don’t know any amount of time…” After a moment of pause she continued, “I look at kids who don’t have parents at all — any amount of time [with a parent] is better than nothing. I vacillate. I’m biding my time, but in the meantime, I’ve got my brother’s seven kids and my best friend’s kids, who I kind of view as my children.”
Most recently, Shannen also revealed that her cancer has spread to her bones. “I don’t want to die,” she told PEOPLE in a separate interview. “I’m not done with living. I’m not done with loving. I’m not done with creating. I’m not done with hopefully changing things for the better. I’m just not — I’m not done.” And although she has been dealing with “challenging” times, Shannen remains positive. “Things have not been exactly easy and smooth. They’ve been really challenging at times, and it’s hard to find yourself suddenly single in your 50s, and with Stage 4 cancer. That’s a hard one,” she said. “And that was super depressing for a while now, but eventually you turn a corner.”