Olivia Munn is among the many people who feel the need to share about the life and death of Shannen Doherty, following her passing on Saturday, July 13.
The former Beverly Hills, 90210 actress died surrounded by loved ones, as well as her beloved dog Bowie, some eight years after first being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015.
Knowing Doherty had already faced some experiences she would be facing, Munn latched on to the actress as a source of strength and knowledge after seeking her out and meeting her.
'I am absolutely heartbroken over the passing of Shannen Doherty. When I was first diagnosed with breast cancer I remembered how bravely she let the world into her journey and reached out to her,' The Newsroom alum, 44, revealed in an Instagram Story post on Sunday, one day after her death.
'We became instant friends — which I honestly couldn't comprehend at times because watching her on [Beverly Hills,] 90210 was everything to me when I was 10.'
Olivia Munn, 44, took to her Instagram Story to share an emotional tribute to Shannen Doherty, where she revealed how they became 'instant friends' after she reached out to her following her own breast cancer diagnosis
'We bonded through a shared battle and a desire to help other women,' The Newsroom alum shared of her friendship with Shannen Doherty
Munn was diagnosed with breast cancer in April 2023, but she decided to wait until this past March publicly to disclose her diagnosis in March.
'We bonded through a shared battle and a desire to help other women,' she explained in her new tribute. 'Looking back at the last text she sent me just a couple of months ago, she asked how I was doing and if she could do anything for me.... True to form, Shannen was offering me her support even though she was in the final stage of fighting this horrific disease.'
She then got brutally honest, writing, 'Cancer is really f***ing' scary and Shannen faced it with such dignity, strength and grace.'
Munn ended her tribute by 'sending all my love to her mother who was her best friend, hero and champion every step of the way. Fly so high my friend.'
The grateful actress also shared an interview with Doherty that she did with People, where she talked about dying.
'I'm not afraid of death because I know where I am going,' the Memphis, Tennessee native shared in an interview with publication in November. 'I know the people that i'm going to see. I think I would be afraid of death if I wasn't a good person but I am.'
While she sounded secure in her thoughts and beliefs on death and an afterlife, the former Charmed star added, 'I don't want to die - that's the difference.'
Munn went on to share a photo of Doherty with her Beverly Hills, 90210 castmates during the height of the show's popularity in the 1990s, along with a message to TV fans all over the world.
The actress and mother of son Malcolm shared a heartwarming tribute to Doherty, where she talked about becoming friends and how she was grateful for the support she offered
Doherty, who passed away on Saturday, July 13, discussed death in an interview in November
Munn says she was a big fan of Doherty and Beverly Hills, 90210 when she was growing up
'Shannen Doherty as Brenda Walsh is and was and will always be an icon,' she gushed at the bottom of the photo.
Doherty was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015, and due to the presence of multiple tumors underwent a mastectomy in May of the next year.
She followed up with chemotherapy treatments and radiotherapy, in the wake of learning that the cancer was more advanced than previously thought.
By 2017, Doherty went public and announced that her cancer was in remission.
But in February 2020, she revealed the cancer had returned the previous year, and that she is now in stage four.
In a statement from Doherty's longtime publicist, Leslie Sloane, the day after her passing to USA Today, she said the actress 'lost her battle with cancer after many years of fighting the disease,' before adding, '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.'
Munn shared her breast cancer diagnosis publicly in hope that 'it will help others find comfort, inspiration and support on their own journey'
The Oklahoma City, Oklahoma native chronicled her cancer journey in a three-page letter she shared to her Instagram page in March
There were several photos of Munn during a hospital visit with her doctors
Munn says by being proactive about her health, she found out about her cancer a year before she would have had she waited until her next mammogram
Munn thinks the early detection gave her many more options to beat the cancer
The actress also shared her gratitude for family, friends and hospital staff for their support
As for Munn, she went public with her cancer diagnosis in a March 13 post on Instagram, in hope that by sharing the news 'it will help others find comfort, inspiration and support on their own journey.'
She not only shared several photos of herself in the hospital, but also wrote a three-page statement laying out how her journey living with cancer began.
'In February 2023, in an effort to be more proactive with my health, I took a genetic test that checks you for 90 different cancer genes, I tested negative for all,' she began.
But then 'two months later I was diagnosed with breast cancer.'
Visibly scared, Munn got emotional and shed some tears, but got the support of hospital staff in the form of a hug and some thoughtful words of wisdom
Munn and John Mulvaney, who only just got married this past week, welcomed their son Malcolm in November 2021; the couple are pictured June 23 in Paris, France
She proceeded to chronicle her health since then, which includes 'four surgeries in the past 10 months,' she wrote at the time.
Munn goes on to reveal that had she not gone on her health kick to be more proactive she wouldn't have had her breast cancer diagnosis until her next scheduled mammogram the following year.
'Dr. Thais Aliabadi decided to calculate my Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Score. The fact that she did saved my life,' she explained, eventually adding, 'I'm lucky. We caught it with enough time that i have some options. I want the same for any woman who might have to face this one day.'
Munn goes on the give thanks to her now husband, John Mulaney, her friends, and the doctors, nurses, and other employees at Cedars-Sinai LA and Saint John's in Santa Monica.
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