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Sarah Michelle Gellar shared a touching tribute in honor of her late friend Shannen Doherty, who died on Saturday, July 13 at age 53 after battling breast cancer.
The actress, 47, posted a loving note to Shannen, along with photos of them together.
Sarah wrote: ‘How do you possibly find the right words to sum up 30 years of friendship?’
Sarah became a household name in the 1990s with her hit series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Cruel intentions – and Shannen with her popular series Beverly Hills 90210 and Charmed.
Sarah Michelle Gellar shared a touching tribute in honor of her late friend Shannen Doherty, who died on Saturday, July 13 at age 53 after battling breast cancer
The actress, 47, posted a loving note to Shannen, along with photos of them together
The stars met in the 1990s and have been friends since, with Sarah revealing in a 2020 interview with People that they talk ‘every day.’
‘I keep reminding myself it only hurts this much because, there was so much love. Thank you, for all your kind words and support.’
‘I love all the messages about how @theshando was important to you. So let’s honor her. More than anything.’
Adding: ‘Shan loves animals, especially dogs. In her memory let’s support our favorite animal charities. Whether that’s donating money, stopping by your local shelter and just offering cuddles and walks to animals housed there or even just tagging them in the comments so other people can learn about their work.’
‘I know that would make our girl happy (and illicit that deep throaty laugh we all loved),’ she said, ending it with broken hearts.
Her post comes just two days after Shannen’s death – at age 53 following a nine-year battle with breast cancer.
Sarah wrote: ‘How do you possibly find the right words to sum up 30 years of friendship?’
Sarah became a household name in the 1990s with her hit series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Cruel intentions – and Shannen with her popular series Beverly Hills 90210 and Charmed
The stars met in the 1990s and have been friends since, with Sarah revealing in a 2020 interview with People that they talk ‘every day’
Sarah and Shannen pictured together in happier times
Shannen’s publicist Leslie Sloane announced her death on Sunday via a statement: ‘On Saturday, July 13, she lost her battle with cancer after many years of fighting the disease.’
‘The devoted daughter, sister, aunt and friend was surrounded by her loved ones as well as her dog Bowie. The family asks for their privacy at this time so they can grieve in peace.’
Luke Perry’s daughter Sophie Perry shared sweet snap of her father with Shannen to her Instagram stories on Sunday.
Shannen and Luke – who died at age 52 in 2019 from a stroke – starred as love interests Brenda and Dylan – on 90210.
Gabrielle Carteris, who played Andrea in the iconic series, also remarked about Luke in her Shannen tribute.
‘I know Luke is there with open arms to love you,’ in her tribute, as reported by People.
Just this past February, Doherty got emotional when she shared about the time she learned of Perry’s death while attending a panel at MegaCon Orlando.
Sarah shared a number of pictures of the duo
Sarah and Shannen beaming ear to ear in another image
The stars seen in another image from what appears to be the late 90s or early 2000s
Luke Perry’s daughter Sophie Perry shared sweet snap of her father with Shannen to her Instagram stories on Sunday
Her post comes just one day after Shannen’s death at age 53 following a nine-year battle with breast cancer; Luke and Shannen pictured
Luke and Shannen starred on 90210 together – playing love interests Dylan and Brenda
‘It was shocking,’ Doherty said of the loss of her former co-star and friend.
‘I have a very visceral reaction whenever someone brings up Luke because as someone with cancer— and a really horrible cancer at stage 4 — I thought I would be the first to go. So when it was Luke, it really just sent me for a tailspin.’
Heartbroken over his loss, Doherty finally found the strength to share a tribute to Perry on social media the day after he died.
‘Yesterday morning I got a phone call that devastated me,’ she began in the caption with obvious emotion to her words.
‘I’m struggling with this loss and am having a hard time with my thoughts. But, my heart goes out to his family and friends who were blessed by his light in their (and mine) lives. Processing this is impossible right now.’
It turns out she and Perry wanted to create some new onscreen magic together, and were trying to find the right production to work on together.
‘There is a special kind of love one has for each other when you are experiencing the journey we did on 90210 and of course life in general,’ Doherty said, before revealing, ‘Luke and I were working on show ideas for us. We wanted to work with each other again and create something special and meaningful for our fans at this stage in our lives.’
She added, ‘I will miss him everyday. Every minute. Every second.’
During that same interview with People in 2019, the Memphis, Tennessee native revealed that she last saw Luke Perry when ‘they met up for lunch’ only a few weeks before his death.
‘I walked in and there he was, smiling, with his dog Penny and her bed under the booth, happy as can be,’ she recalled. ‘I will never forget — and will miss — Luke looking at me with that smile of his saying … “Shan.”‘
Doherty and Perry starred together on Beverly Hills, 90210 for the first four seasons of the hit series from 1990-1994; Perry would stay for two more seasons and then leave, only to return for the finale 10th season; they starred with Ian Ziering, Tori Spelling, Brian Austin Green, Jason Priestley, Jennie Garth, and Gabrielle Carteris
‘There is a special kind of love one has for each other when you are experiencing the journey we did on 90210 and of course life in general,’ Doherty told People during an interview in 2019, soon after sudden Perry’s death
While attending a 90210 panel at RewindCon Chicago, weeks before his death in 2019, Perry heaped high praise on Doherty, telling the audience, ‘None of us are up here today without Shannen.’
He proceeded to share, ‘The reality is that she was a very big part of the success of the program. She taught me a lot and I’m just really glad she was there for me as a scene partner.’
They also connected after her cancer diagnosis and they ‘picked right back up, albeit older and wiser, but that connection remained in tact.’
She described him as a ‘smart, quiet, humble and complex man with a heart of gold and never-ending well of integrity and love.’