NEWSTori Spelling Was More 'Emotional' Over Shannen Doherty's Death Than She Was Her Father's: 'I Couldn't Stop Crying'
It wasn't until later in life that Tori Spelling embraced her feelings.
July 1 2026, Published 4:48 p.m. ET
Tori Spelling had a rough time dealing with good pal Shannen Doherty's 2024 death.
On the Tuesday, June 30, episode of the “Inside of You With Michael Rosenbaum” podcast, Spelling admitted she had "more of an emotional … outward reaction when Shan passed than my own father [Aaron Spelling]."
'I Had Every Feeling So Repressed'
Tori Spelling thinks she 'repressed' her feelings when her famous father died in 2006.
Tori, 53, thought her lack of outwardly grieving was because she was "younger" at the time, as Aaron passed at age 83 in 2006.
"I think I had every feeling so repressed. I didn’t know how to deal with my feelings that in my mind it was, like, you just go on," she recalled, noting she used to think crying showed "weakness."
That being said, the mom-of-five insisted the TV producer is "still my hero and I think about him every single day in my life."
Tori Spelling said Shannen Doherty's death was 'hard' to process.
Tori said she also bottled up her emotions when Beverly Hills, 90210 costar Luke Perry died suddenly of a stroke in 2019 at age 52.
"I was still in my mode of go on, go on. I was like, inside, ‘Just go, you gotta keep going,'" she explained. "It was only when Shan passed, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I can’t stop crying.’ And this is so un-me."
"When she passed, it was this thing — and maybe it's because we're getting older, and it's kind of a you start to think of your own mortality and what's going to happen," she said. "And it's like, ‘Wait, friends my age are passing and this can happen.' That was a hard one. It was a hard one."
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Inside Tori Spelling and Shannen Doherty's Friendship
Shannen Doherty and Tori Spelling mended ties after having a falling out.
Shannen and Tori's friendship hit a rough patch, with Tori noting they drifted apart after initially becoming "best friends" when Shannen was cut from Beverly Hills, 90210.
Fortunately, the girls reunited at fan events years later and mended ties.
"And I'm so lucky that because of conventions, we got to come back together and be friends again before she passed," Tori said. "And that meant so much to me and to her.”
Shannen Doherty Died From Cancer
Shannen Doherty passed away at age 53 in 2024.
Shannen died in July 2024 after her cancer returned.
"It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the passing of actress Shannen Doherty. On Saturday, July 13, she lost her battle with cancer after many years of fighting the disease," the announcement from her publicist, Leslie Sloane, read. "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."
