She 'Had the Heart of a Lion,' Says Ros...

Shannen Doherty's Charmed castmates are remembering her after her death at age 53

Published Time: 14.07.2024 - 21:31:15 Modified Time: 14.07.2024 - 21:31:15

Shannen Doherty's Charmed castmates are remembering her after her death at age 53.

Doherty — who played the oldest of the Halliwell sisters on the series — died on Saturday, July 13 following a years-long journey with cancer, her longtime publicist confirmed in a statement to PEOPLE.

In the wake of the news, stars including Rose McGowan, Alyssa Milano, Brian Krause and Ted King have paid tribute to their former costar.

McGowan, who entered the show after Doherty's departure at the end of season 3, said the actress had the "heart of a lion" in a lengthy Instagram post shared on Sunday.

"Passion for craft is often mislabeled as trouble. Shannen was passion. I met her in the 90s and was awed. Getting to really know her later in life, a beautiful gift. This woman fought to live," McGowan, 50, continued. "Shannen knew how to be a star because she was one since childhood. Her work ethic inspiring to the end. Shannen’s great love for directing, for acting, Holly, her friends, her parents, dog and her beloved fans was legendary."

"Our lives had been intertwined in a unique way. We laughed at dark forces who wanted us to hate each other, instead we chose love and respect. A soft-hearted badass as there ever was. A force of energy that will live forever in hearts," McGowan wrote, before concluding her tribute, "May angels and God carry her to the holy kingdom where she is healthy, young and wild forever. Rest now warrior, we will never forget you dear sister 🎭 ."

In a statement to PEOPLE, Milano said, "It’s no secret that Shannen and I had a complicated relationship, but at its core was someone I deeply respected and was in awe of. She was a talented actress, beloved by many and the world is less without her. My condolences to all who loved her."

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> As Milano noted, the actresses, who played sisters on Charmed alongside Holly Marie Combs, had a "complicated" dynamic and made headlines recently when Combs and Doherty claimed that Milano participated in getting Doherty fired from the show.

Krause, who played Leo Wyatt on the WB series, shared a heartfelt post on Instagram.

"You showed me what strength is," he wrote. "You taught me to be fearless and live with purpose. To know your value and stick to your determinations. Forever loved! Truly heartbroken 😔 ."

Ted King, who starred on the first season of the series as Doherty's love interest Andy Trudeau, shared a photo from Charmed, writing, "We created a special television couple for the ages. My heart goes out to your family. Rest in peace Shannen, rest in peace."

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Doherty's publicist told PEOPLE that Doherty, who she described as a "devoted daughter, sister, aunt and friend," was "surrounded by her loved ones as well as her dog, Bowie" when she died. "The family asks for their privacy at this time so they can grieve in peace," Sloane continued.

Her death followed a years-long battle with cancer, and she told PEOPLE in November that her stage 4 breast cancer had spread to her bones, but she was "not done with living."

"My greatest memory is yet to come," she said at the time. "I pray. I wake up and go to bed thanking God, praying for the things that matter to me without asking for too much. It connects me to a higher power and spirituality. My faith is my mantra."