A year after Shannen Doherty’s passing, her former Beverly Hills, 90210 co-star Ian Ziering is finally sharing his thoughts—and he’s doing so on his own terms.
In a heartfelt Instagram post, Ian reflected on his friendship with Shannen, why he stayed silent at the time of her death, and what her loss truly means to him.
“When she died a year ago, I didn’t post anything. And yes, some people criticized that. To them I say: grief isn’t a performance. It’s personal. Let people grieve how they grieve,” Ian wrote.
He remembered Shannen not just for her strength but also for her spark.
“When I first heard she was sick, we had nearly a decade more with her. And even then, most of the updates sounded less like ‘Shannen’s fighting cancer’ and more like ‘cancer picked the wrong woman.’ That was her way—strong, defiant, take-no-prisoners tough.”
Despite occasional on-set clashes in their early days, Ian said there was always mutual respect.
“I was the wisecracking comic relief; she was the beautiful chaos, the after-hours headline, the girl who could trash a hotel room and make the tabloids love her for it. (Stop laughing, Shan. You know it’s true.)”
He also fondly recalled a surprise visit from Shannen and Jennie Garth at a Chippendales show in Vegas: “God, we laughed so hard. It was one of those nights that stays with you.”
Ian’s post captured the complicated, meaningful bond the two shared—and reminded fans that grief is rarely simple.
“So, my dear Shannen— I think of you often. Your grit. Your fire. Your kind heart that so few really got to see. I still carry all of it with me. Rest easy, Shan.”
Read his entire message below…
When I first heard she was sick, we had nearly a decade more with her. And even then, most of the updates sounded less like “Shannen’s fighting cancer” and more like “cancer picked the wrong woman.” That was her way—strong, defiant, take-no-prisoners tough.
Every time I saw her during those years, she was still Shan—fierce, funny, full of life. That’s why her passing hit me like a freight train. I was shocked. I truly believed she was going to pull off one more miracle.
When she died a year ago, I didn’t post anything. And yes, some people criticized that. To them I say: grief isn’t a performance. It’s personal. Let people grieve how they grieve.
Over the past year, I’ve seen my old castmates a few times. It’s been hard being together without her—and Luke. That kind of loss doesn’t fade. It just rearranges the furniture in your heart.
I miss Shannen. We clashed now and then in the early years of 90210—two strong personalities will do that—but we always had respect. I was the wisecracking comic relief; she was the beautiful chaos, the after-hours headline, the girl who could trash a hotel room and make the tabloids love her for it. (Stop laughing, Shan. You know it’s true.)
Whatever antics happened off-set, when the camera rolled? She delivered. Always.
As we got older, we mellowed. Grew up. Understood what we’d been part of and what we each brought to the table. I’ll never forget when she and Jennie surprised me at the Chippendales show in Vegas. God, we laughed so hard. It was one of those nights that stays with you.
So, my dear Shannen—
I think of you often. Your grit. Your fire. Your kind heart that so few really got to see. I still carry all of it with me.
Rest easy, Shan.
