On the death of Shannen Doherty - Concrete wishes for the time after their death
Shannen Doherty (1971-2024) lost her battle against her cancer illness: The actress passed away on Saturday (13th July) at the age of 53. In her podcast "Let's Be Clear with Shannen Doherty," she not only shared frequent health updates but also spoke openly about dying and her plans for her funeral. She wanted to make the farewell and the time after her death as simple as possible for her family.
In a past episode in January, she shared her thoughts about how she wanted to be buried with her listeners. "I want my mortal remains to be mixed with my dog and I want them to be mixed with my father," quoted US magazine "People" from the podcast episode. She wished for her loved ones to scatter her ashes "in a healthy mixture."
For instance, her survivors could scatter both hers and her father's ashes in Malibu, California, where they had spent a valuable time together, or at another place they both loved. She also found the idea of having her remains "grow in a tree" appealing.
Small and Intimate Funeral
Apparently, she wished for a smaller and more intimate funeral in her own words. She imagined a shorter guest list. "There are a lot of people I think would come who I don't want there," so Doherty mentioned. "I don't want them there because their reasons for being there aren't the best, like for example, because they don't really like me. They have their reasons, but they don't really like me enough to come to my funeral."
The people she spoke of would come "because it's politically correct and they don't want to be seen as not caring." She wanted her funeral to be "a festival of love." "I don't want people crying or whispering to each other, 'Thank God the bitch is dead'."
In another episode in April, the former "Beverly Hills, 90210" actress mentioned that she was parting ways with her possessions to ease the burden on her Mother. "I know it will be hard for her if I die before her," so Doherty added. And to make it easier for her, she was giving away her things. "I don't want her to have to deal with a pile of stuff. I don't want her to have four storage units full of furniture," said the "Charmed" actress in the podcast.
Focus on Memories instead of Possessions
She wanted to focus on creating memories with friends and family in her final years instead. "I don't need all that, it doesn't bring me great joy, but what brings me great joy is bringing my mother to the places she always wanted to go," Doherty shared: "I can create memories - I can create memories with the people I love. I don't reach into the money in my trust fund to ensure that everyone in my life is taken care of."
In this podcast, she recalled a trip she had taken with her mother to Italy a few years ago: "My mother's tears ran down her face, because she never thought she would see that, and certainly not that she would experience it with me. Those are the things that matter most. Not your possessions, not what you have."
Shannen Doherty was diagnosed with breast cancer in its fourth, therefore last, stage in 2015. She openly shared her health condition with her fans, providing regular updates on her status. In June 2023, she announced to the public that metastases had formed in her brain. In a "People" interview in November 2023, she revealed that the cancer had also affected her bones. In January 2024, she spoke of a medical "miracle" that gave her some more time. Until the end, she remained hopeful in her podcast.
In her podcast, Shannen Doherty expressed her desire to be buried with her dog and her father's ashes, as reported by US magazine "People". Despite her cancer diagnosis, she wished to focus on creating memories with loved ones instead of accumulating possessions. Despite anticipating the burden on her mother after her death, she decided to part ways with her possessions to make it easier for her.
