A former “Dancing with the Stars” alum shared an emotional life update in her latest podcast episode. Season 10 DWTS competitor Shannen Doherty has talked extensively about her cancer journey over the years.
The former DWTS star revealed she is making preparations for the worst as her stage 4 cancer battle continues. At one point recently in the process, Doherty admitted, “I started crying because…I felt like I was giving up on a dream.”
Here’s what you need to know:
Shannen Doherty Is Trying to Make Things ‘Clean’ for Her Mother
During the March 31 episode of Doherty’s “Let’s Be Clear” podcast, the “Dancing with the Stars” alum dug into a difficult component of her cancer journey.
She explained she owned a place in Tennessee, and she decided she should sell it. Doherty emphasized that she has “A lot of hopes and dreams” and “I’m a fighter and I believe in science,” so she is not giving up on life.
Even though she is still fighting, Doherty told podcast listeners, “I still felt that I needed to make things clean just in case.”
She explained, “I guess it’s the cancer for me that has really made me take stock of my life and shift my priorities.”
For Doherty, that means, “My priority at the moment is my mom” and making things “clean” for her.
“I know it’s going to be hard on her if I pass away before her…But because it’s going to be so hard on her, I want other things to be a lot easier,” Doherty explained.
For Doherty, that means, “I don’t want her to have a bunch of stuff to deal with.”
A good friend of Doherty’s is helping her go through storage units where she has collected a lot of things. She noted, though, “There’s bigger things like houses that I have to worry about.”
Regarding the Tennessee home, Doherty initially found it especially hard to pack up that place. That was because she had dreams of what it would become.
She dreamed of building a house for herself and one for her mom on the property, and rescuing horses.
As Doherty packed up that Tennessee property, she cried. She felt she was giving up on a dream, she noted during her podcast. However, it “Didn’t mean that I was giving up on life. Didn’t mean that I was throwing in the towel.”
The DWTS Alum Is Finding Joy in Building Memories With Her Mom
As her podcast continued, Doherty shared she had found some clarity about giving up that property. She noted, “I can still live my dream of helping horses…by really participating with rescues that are far more capable than me of doing it.”
Doherty was emotional during this podcast episode. At one point, she paused and seemed to hold back tears. The “Dancing with the Stars” alum noted it was hard for her.
She got particularly choked up when talking about the possibility she would die and leave her mom to manage what was left behind.
Doherty said she’s focused on ‘Trying to make it as easy as possible” on her loved ones after she’s gone. The former “Dancing with the Stars” contestant acknowledged “easy” isn’t really the right word to describe it, though.
“Maybe it’s more about ease for myself,” Doherty admitted. “It’s, again, that peace of mind.”
She also shared that she can take trips by selling off some of what she’s accumulated. This allows her to “Build memories with the people that I love.”
Doherty is taking her mom on vacation as often as she can. She’s also acknowledging that the “stuff,” the physical items she’s accumulated, doesn’t bring her joy anymore.
“But what does bring me a lot of joy is taking my mom to the places that she’s always wanted to go to and building those memories with her.”