If you were an avid viewer of Beverly Hills, 90210 in the nineties, you’ll be well aware of the hard issues the teen drama tackled – from AIDS battles to teen suicide.
But it appears that real life imitates art, as the cast of the classic show have been involved in numerous tragedies since the show wrapped in 2000.
Though some of the original cast returned for the spin-off 90210 in the late noughties, others suffered untimely deaths and were forced to battle health conditions and heartbreaking losses.
READ MORE: Elliot Page shows off top surgery scars in shirtless snap as he shares Juno regret
To mark the finale of the hit series on May 17, 2000, Daily Star takes a look at some of the tragedies which have hit the cast members hard.
Luke Perry’s untimely death
Luke Perry was one of the classic teen idols of the nineties, starring as Dylan McKay in Beverly Hills, 92010.
He appeared in 199 episodes of the show, along with landing roles in everything from Riverdale to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood alongside Leonardo DiCaprio.
But tragically, the actor died in 2019 after suffering a “massive stroke”.
The actor passed away at hospital surrounded by family after paramedics were called to his residence, with Luke suffering a stroke.
He was sedated by doctors to allow his brain a chance to recover from the trauma, but it was too late and the damage too great.
To mark his tragic death, the set of Riverdale shut down for the day, with execs paying tribute to the star, who acted as a “father figure” to the younger cast members.
Shannen Doherty’s cancer battle
Best known as Brenda Walsh in Beverly Hills, 90210 and its subsequent spin-off series, Shannen Doherty was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015 – though was in remission by 2017.
Sadly in February 2020, the cancer returned, and at Stage IV.
Shannen confessed of her co-star Luke’s death: “It’s so weird for me to be diagnosed and then somebody who was, you know, seemingly healthy to go first. It was really, like, shocking.”
She added: “Our life doesn’t end the minute we get that diagnosis. We still have some living to do.”
Asked if she had made a bucket list after the news, Shannen said no, “because I’m going to be the longest-living person with cancer.”
Jason Priestley’s car crash
Best known as Brandon Walsh on Beverly Hills, 90210, Jason Priestley made headlines in 2002 when he drove a race car into a wall while travelling at 180 miles per hour.
The actor was at the Kentucky Speedway doing laps, and immediately broke his back upon impact, leaving him in serious condition.
Jason was airlifted to the University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Centre with a head injury and broken bones in both feet, and placed on a respirator to help him breathe.
A spokesperson said at the time: “His vital signs are stable… He has his eyes open; he looks around and will follow commands.”
Thankfully Jason went on to recover – but his co-star Shannen Doherty said his memory was forever altered after the accident.
She said in 2015: “I love Jason, but you know he had a car accident, a racing accident, and I think maybe parts of his memory got altered from that.”
Denise Dowse’s death
In August 2022, the world lost another beloved Beverly Hills, 90210 star.
Denise Dowse played Mrs Yvonne Teasley in the show, and died at the age of 64 after falling into a coma induced by a “virulent form of meningitis”.
Her sister announced the news with a heartfelt tribute, writing: “It is with a very heavy heart that I inform everyone that my sister, Denise Dowse has gone forward to meet our family in eternal life.
“Denise Yvonne Dowse was the most amazing sister, a consummate, illustrious actress, mentor and director. She was my very best friend and final family member. Denise loved all of you. I know that she is watching over us with all the love she has.”
Tori Spelling cut out of will
For more of the latest showbiz news from Daily Star, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters here.
As if suffering the tragic loss of her dad wasn’t heartbreaking enough, Donna Martin star Tori Spelling experienced further tragedy when she received hardly any of Aaron Spelling’s fortune in his will.
Tori and her brother fell on hard times in 2006 when their dad passed away.
With a staggering net worth of $600million, Aaron only left $800,000 each to his children, while the “bulk” of his fortune went to his wife Candy.
Candy claimed that Tori’s spending habits were “out of control” and attempted to belay financial responsibility on her, leading to the mom-and-daughter pair not speaking for years.
But Tori downplayed the idea of a feud, telling People Magazine: “It's not like we're not talking, we just haven't talked. I love my mother. I've always loved her [and] no doubt she loves me. There's no feud. We simply never meshed."
Now the pair are thankfully on speaking terms again, with Tori explaining she is “really close” to her mother.
READ NEXT:
