Jason Priestley reveals what could have saved Shannen Doherty from getting fired from ‘Beverly Hills, 90210’

Jason Priestley says Shannen Doherty might have kept her role on “Beverly Hills, 90210” if she had been more open about the personal difficulties affecting her work. He said the decision to dismiss her was difficult and based on what the cast and producers knew at the time.

Doherty left at the end of the show’s fourth season, after her marriage and her father’s illness made it hard for her to arrive at work consistently. She later said she wished someone had warned her before she was fired, while also acknowledging she could have been more transparent. Priestley recalled that her departure felt frightening because he saw her as an important part of the show; she died in 2024, aged 53.