Shannen Doherty Wishes to Mix Her Ashes With Two Loved Ones

Before her passing from breast cancer on Saturday, July 13, actor Shannen Doherty had meticulously planned her post-death arrangements.

During a January episode of her Let’s Be Clear podcast, Doherty disclosed her posthumous preferences, stating that she wished to be cremated rather than buried.

“This is such a morbid conversation, but so fun,” she remarked while speaking with Chris Cortazzo, a close friend and the executor of her will.

“I want to be mixed with my dog and I want to be mixed with my dad,” Doherty added.

Adding a bit of humor to the solemn topic, she joked that her final ashes would be “a healthy mixture of my father, me, and [my dog] Bowie.”

People magazine reported that Doherty’s father, John Doherty, passed away in 2010 after suffering a stroke nearly a year earlier. She mentioned in her podcast episode that she had worn a necklace containing some of his ashes for several years.

Bowie, her German Shepherd who had been a loyal companion for years, is still alive. Therefore, Doherty’s wish to mix her ashes with Bowie’s will have to wait until her beloved pet passes away.

A fervent animal lover and advocate for shelter pets, Doherty had posted a loving birthday message for Bowie on social media in March, expressing her obsessive love for her dog. According to a statement from her publicist, Bowie was by Doherty’s side when she died.

In January, Doherty was still uncertain about the final disposition of her remaining ashes. She considered several options, such as using part of them to grow a tree or enclosing them in necklaces for her loved ones.

Her funeral plans were more clear-cut. Doherty desired an intimate “love fest” with close family and friends and wanted to keep the guest list exclusive. She acknowledged that her list of people she’d prefer not to attend was “way too long.”

“I don’t want them there because their reasons for showing up aren’t necessarily the best reasons. Like, they don’t really like me, you know?” she explained. “And good for them. But they don’t actually really like me enough to show up to my funeral. But they will, because it’s the politically correct thing to do and they don’t want to look bad, so I kind of want to take that pressure off them.”

Doherty was an actor celebrated for her roles on Little House on the Prairie, Charmed, and 90210.

During her teenage years in the ’80s, she starred in films such as Heathers, Night Shift, and Girls Just Want to Have Fun.

Doherty was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015. While her cancer initially went into remission, she revealed in 2017 that it had returned, progressing to Stage IV and eventually spreading to her brain.

Shannen Doherty passed away on July 13 at the age of 53.

Source: People, Let’s Be Clear Podcast