Shannen Doherty Says She Wants Her Ashes Mixed with Her Dog's and Her Dad's Remains

Mar. 15, 2025

Shannen Doherty is pictured posing for a portrait in the Getty Images & People Magazine Portrait Studio at Hallmark Channel and American Humanes 2019 Hero Dog Awards at the Beverly Hilton on October 05, 2019 in Beverly Hills, California.Photo:Neilson Barnard/Getty ImagesShannen Dohertyhas put serious thought into her funeral and burial arrangements.On the latest episode of herLet’s Be Clearpodcast, theBeverly Hills, 90210alum — who is currently livingwith metastatic stage 4 cancer— opened up about her plans for her remains with her best friend and executor of her will Chris Cortazzo.“This is such a morbid conversation, but it’s also so fun,” she said. “I want [my remains] to be mixed with my dog and I want it to be mixed with my dad. I do not want to be buried and not cremated.“Doherty said she wants her final resting arrangements to be “a healthy mixture” of the options available. Though she is unsure of where to scatter her ashes, the idea of potentially using them to “grow them into a tree” interests her. She also wants to “find a place thatmy dadand I both really loved and it meant a lot to us,” noting that they shared “precious time” together in Malibu, California.Shannen Doherty is pictured attending the 9th Annual American Humane Hero Dog Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on October 05, 2019 in Beverly Hills, California.Jon Kopaloff/GettyDoherty, 52, also shared what she has envisioned for her funeral service, noting that when it comes to the attendees, she prefers her attendees list on the “shorter” side — and that the list of people she doesn’t want there is “way too long.““There’s a lot of people that I think would show up that I don’t want there,” she said. “I don’t want them there because their reasons for showing up aren’t necessarily the best reasons, like, they don’t really like me and, you know, they have their reasons and good for them, but they don’t actually really like me enough to show up to my funeral.“She continued, “But they will, because it’s the politically correct thing to do and they don’t want to look bad, so I kinda want to take the pressure off them and I want my funeral to be like a love fest. I don’t want people to be crying or people to privately be like, ‘Thank God that bitch is dead now.'“TheCharmedalum also suggested the service be hosted at her house, explaining how it should be a “party” and a “celebration.“Doherty was initially diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015. Though shewent into remissionin 2017, the cancer returned in 2019. She announced her metastatic stage 4 cancer diagnosis the following year.In her PEOPLE cover story late last year, Doherty expressedhow determined she was to live a full lifeamid her cancer journey.“I’m not done with living. I’m not done with loving. I’m not done with creating. I’m not done with hopefully changing things for the better,” she said. “I’m just not — I’m not done.“Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.iHeartPodcasts’Let’s Be Clear with Shannen Dohertydrops new episodes Mondays on major podcasting platforms.

Shannen Doherty is pictured posing for a portrait in the Getty Images & People Magazine Portrait Studio at Hallmark Channel and American Humanes 2019 Hero Dog Awards at the Beverly Hilton on October 05, 2019 in Beverly Hills, California.Photo:Neilson Barnard/Getty Images

Neilson Barnard/Getty Images

Shannen Dohertyhas put serious thought into her funeral and burial arrangements.On the latest episode of herLet’s Be Clearpodcast, theBeverly Hills, 90210alum — who is currently livingwith metastatic stage 4 cancer— opened up about her plans for her remains with her best friend and executor of her will Chris Cortazzo.“This is such a morbid conversation, but it’s also so fun,” she said. “I want [my remains] to be mixed with my dog and I want it to be mixed with my dad. I do not want to be buried and not cremated.“Doherty said she wants her final resting arrangements to be “a healthy mixture” of the options available. Though she is unsure of where to scatter her ashes, the idea of potentially using them to “grow them into a tree” interests her. She also wants to “find a place thatmy dadand I both really loved and it meant a lot to us,” noting that they shared “precious time” together in Malibu, California.Shannen Doherty is pictured attending the 9th Annual American Humane Hero Dog Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on October 05, 2019 in Beverly Hills, California.Jon Kopaloff/GettyDoherty, 52, also shared what she has envisioned for her funeral service, noting that when it comes to the attendees, she prefers her attendees list on the “shorter” side — and that the list of people she doesn’t want there is “way too long.““There’s a lot of people that I think would show up that I don’t want there,” she said. “I don’t want them there because their reasons for showing up aren’t necessarily the best reasons, like, they don’t really like me and, you know, they have their reasons and good for them, but they don’t actually really like me enough to show up to my funeral.“She continued, “But they will, because it’s the politically correct thing to do and they don’t want to look bad, so I kinda want to take the pressure off them and I want my funeral to be like a love fest. I don’t want people to be crying or people to privately be like, ‘Thank God that bitch is dead now.'“TheCharmedalum also suggested the service be hosted at her house, explaining how it should be a “party” and a “celebration.“Doherty was initially diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015. Though shewent into remissionin 2017, the cancer returned in 2019. She announced her metastatic stage 4 cancer diagnosis the following year.In her PEOPLE cover story late last year, Doherty expressedhow determined she was to live a full lifeamid her cancer journey.“I’m not done with living. I’m not done with loving. I’m not done with creating. I’m not done with hopefully changing things for the better,” she said. “I’m just not — I’m not done.“Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.iHeartPodcasts’Let’s Be Clear with Shannen Dohertydrops new episodes Mondays on major podcasting platforms.

Shannen Dohertyhas put serious thought into her funeral and burial arrangements.

On the latest episode of herLet’s Be Clearpodcast, theBeverly Hills, 90210alum — who is currently livingwith metastatic stage 4 cancer— opened up about her plans for her remains with her best friend and executor of her will Chris Cortazzo.

“This is such a morbid conversation, but it’s also so fun,” she said. “I want [my remains] to be mixed with my dog and I want it to be mixed with my dad. I do not want to be buried and not cremated.”

Doherty said she wants her final resting arrangements to be “a healthy mixture” of the options available. Though she is unsure of where to scatter her ashes, the idea of potentially using them to “grow them into a tree” interests her. She also wants to “find a place thatmy dadand I both really loved and it meant a lot to us,” noting that they shared “precious time” together in Malibu, California.

Shannen Doherty is pictured attending the 9th Annual American Humane Hero Dog Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on October 05, 2019 in Beverly Hills, California.Jon Kopaloff/Getty

Jon Kopaloff/Getty

Doherty, 52, also shared what she has envisioned for her funeral service, noting that when it comes to the attendees, she prefers her attendees list on the “shorter” side — and that the list of people she doesn’t want there is “way too long.”

“There’s a lot of people that I think would show up that I don’t want there,” she said. “I don’t want them there because their reasons for showing up aren’t necessarily the best reasons, like, they don’t really like me and, you know, they have their reasons and good for them, but they don’t actually really like me enough to show up to my funeral.”

She continued, “But they will, because it’s the politically correct thing to do and they don’t want to look bad, so I kinda want to take the pressure off them and I want my funeral to be like a love fest. I don’t want people to be crying or people to privately be like, ‘Thank God that bitch is dead now.'”

TheCharmedalum also suggested the service be hosted at her house, explaining how it should be a “party” and a “celebration.”

Doherty was initially diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015. Though shewent into remissionin 2017, the cancer returned in 2019. She announced her metastatic stage 4 cancer diagnosis the following year.

In her PEOPLE cover story late last year, Doherty expressedhow determined she was to live a full lifeamid her cancer journey.

“I’m not done with living. I’m not done with loving. I’m not done with creating. I’m not done with hopefully changing things for the better,” she said. “I’m just not — I’m not done.”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

iHeartPodcasts’Let’s Be Clear with Shannen Dohertydrops new episodes Mondays on major podcasting platforms.

source: people.com