Ian Ziering Explains Why He Didn’t Share Tribute to ‘90210’ Costar Shannen Doherty After Her Death

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One year following the passing of Shannen Doherty, Ian Ziering spoke candidly about the impact of losing his Beverly Hills, 90210 co-star.

In the early morning hours of Monday, July 14, Ziering, aged 61, shared on Instagram the reason why this post marked his initial online tribute to Doherty after her battle with cancer ended in July 2024.

“When she passed a year ago, I refrained from posting anything. Yes, some criticized that decision,” Ziering, who portrayed Steve Sanders alongside Doherty’s Brenda Walsh in the beloved teen drama that aired from 1990 to 2000, expressed. “To those individuals, I respond: grief is not a display. It is deeply personal. Allow people to mourn in their own ways.”

On July 14, 2024, Doherty’s publicist Leslie Sloane confirmed to Us Weekly that the actress had passed away at the age of 53 just a day earlier, after a prolonged fight with cancer.

In his poignant Instagram message, Ziering reflected on the unique spirit of the late actress. “When I first learned of her illness, we were hopeful we’d have nearly another decade with her. Yet, even then, most updates felt less like ‘Shannen is combating cancer’ and more like ‘cancer chose the wrong woman.’ That was her essence—strong, defiant, uncompromisingly tough,” he wrote, accompanied by a photo of the two embracing at a red carpet event.

The actor shared how the news of Doherty’s passing profoundly affected him. “Each time I encountered her over those years, she remained the same Shan—fierce, humorous, vibrant. Hence, her loss hit me extraordinarily hard. I was taken aback. I honestly believed she would manage to achieve yet another miracle,” he articulated.

Ziering mentioned that he had connected with fellow Beverly Hills, 90210 cast members in the year following Doherty’s death and expressed that they all felt her absence, along with that of their late co-star Luke Perry. (Perry, who played Dylan McKay on 90210, passed away in 2019 after suffering a stroke at the age of 52.)

“It has been difficult to gather without her—and Luke. Such a loss doesn’t fade away; it merely reconfigures the emotional landscape of your heart,” Ziering continued in his post as he elaborated on the nature of their friendship.

“I miss Shannen. We had our disagreements in the early years of 90210—two powerful personalities often do that—but we maintained respect for one another,” he reminisced. “I was the witty comic relief; she was the stunning whirlwind, the headline after dark, the girl who could wreak havoc in a hotel room and capture the tabloids' affection for it. (Stop laughing, Shan. You know it’s the truth.).”

Ziering acknowledged that as time passed, their fiery personalities softened, and they both “calmed down... matured... appreciated what we had been a part of.”

He ended his heartfelt message with a touching note to his friend. “So, my dear Shannen—you're often in my thoughts. Your resilience. Your passion. Your kind spirit that so few really witnessed. I still carry all of it with me. Rest in peace, Shan. ❤️,” he concluded.

Doherty received a diagnosis of stage IV breast cancer in the year 2015. In April 2023, she disclosed that the disease had metastasized to her brain.

According to a statement from Sloane in 2024, Doherty passed on “surrounded by her family and friends, along with her dog, Bowie.”