Shannen Doherty's tragic passing amid bitter divorce battle
12:19 PM EDT, July 16, 2024
Shannen Doherty passed away at the age of 53. Recently, she had been battling with her ex-husband, who cheated on her while she was seriously ill with cancer. As it turns out, they divorced just before the actress's death.
The "Beverly Hills 90210" star died on Saturday, July 13. She was 53 years old. The sad news was confirmed by Leslie Sloane, the actress's agent, in a conversation with "The People." "Shan. My sister... You loved me all the time. Thanks to you, I largely understood what love is. I miss you so much that I can't fully comprehend it yet. Thank you for your heart," wrote "Beverly Hills..." actor Brian Austin Green on social media. He was one of the few who knew that Shannen had cancer again with metastases. He stood by his friend, something that couldn't be said about her husband.
Page Six journalists obtained court documents indicating that Shannen Doherty managed to officially divorce Kurt Iswarienko. The records are dated Friday, July 12. The actress died the next day, on Saturday. Let us remind you that recently Shannen was fighting in court with her ex-husband, demanding alimony from him for expensive cancer treatment.
The documents mention a mutual decision made by the former spouses to "fully and finally settle the matter." The court records show that all issues related to the division of assets, loans, alimony, and legal fees were resolved.
The actress's friend, Tara Furiani, shed some light on the divorce matter. In a post published on social media, she accused Shannen's ex-husband, Kurt Iswarienko, of lacking humanity. She pointed out that Iswarienko dragged her to court instead of showing some kindness to his dying wife. "She lost everything (including her actors' guild insurance), and her husband dragged her to court because he discovered some income and did everything to delay the court's decision or the fact that he would have to pay," she wrote.
"Life is so hard... It's additionally nightmarish when you have cancer and don't have the support you should get. If you have a chance to be a decent person, take it. You have no idea what people are going through in life," she added.
The actress was with photographer Kurt Iswarienko for 14 years, 11 of those in marriage. It was with him that she learned about the recurrence of cancer, which this time attacked not only the breast but also metastasized to the brain. Just before a planned brain surgery, Shannen discovered Kurt was cheating on her. "I went to surgery early in the morning right after I found out that my marriage was basically over because my husband had been having an affair for two years. I wanted to not go to that surgery at the time, even though it was clear to me he wanted to accompany me, but I couldn't go there with him. I felt so betrayed," she confessed in the podcast "Let's Be Clear with Shannen Doherty."
Iswarienko initially did not admit to the affair. Shannen learned the truth from her husband's lover, who was his manager. "It was embarrassing. [...] At the end of the day, I felt incredibly unloved by the person I'd been with for 14 years, the person I loved with all my heart," she summarized.