Shannen Doherty spent the months before her death getting rid of her possessions for a "cleaner, easier transition" for her loved ones.
As previously reported, Doherty, celebrated for her iconic roles in Beverly Hills, 90210, and Charmed, passed away at the age of 53 following a prolonged battle with breast cancer.
“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,” Doherty’s publicist Leslie Sloane said in a statement to People.
Doherty’s journey with cancer began in 2015 when she was diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, which had spread to at least one lymph node.
Despite undergoing extensive treatments and surgeries, including a period of remission, the cancer returned.
In 2020, she revealed publicly that her cancer had progressed to stage four, indicating it had metastasized to other parts of her body.
Throughout her struggle, Doherty bravely kept her fans updated on her treatments and challenges.
In January 2023, she underwent surgery to remove a tumor from her brain, a development she shared with her followers six months later in an emotional Instagram post.
Prior to her death, Doherty explained on the Let's Be Clear Podcast why she was getting rid of her possessions.
"I have accumulated so much crap, and it's sitting in storage," Doherty said. "I’m not enjoying it and others aren't enjoying it. And do I really need any of it? Do I need to have three dining room tables? The answer is no, none of us really need all the stuff that we have, and we could all do with a little bit of downsizing and not become a hoarder."
Her mother, Rosa, and the memories they made together remained her top priority.
She said: "It's going to be hard on her if I pass away before her. Because it's going to be so hard on her, I want other things to be a lot easier. I don't want her to have a bunch of stuff to deal with. I don't want her to have four storage units filled with furniture.
“I don't need this, it doesn’t really bring me any great joy, but what does bring me great joy is taking my mom to the places that she's always wanted to go to," Doherty added.
The practice of eliminating unnecessary items from the home to lessen the burden on loved ones after death is known as Swedish death cleaning, per Entertainment Weekly.
"It was really hard and really emotional because to a certain extent, I felt like I was giving up on this dream of building this property out and putting a house for me, putting a house for my mom, and extending the barn and rescuing horses and having a sanctuary," Doherty said.
As her family mourns her loss, they have requested privacy to grieve and remember Doherty in peace.