Sarah Michelle Gellar Marks First Birthday Without Best Friend Shannen Doherty

This revision maintains the original structure and intent, clarifies "BFF" as "Best Friend," and uses "marks" for consistency with the source phrasing.

Sarah Michelle Gellar Honors Shannen Doherty on Late Friend’s 54th Birthday

Sarah Michelle Gellar shared a heartfelt tribute to her close friend Shannen Doherty on Saturday, marking what would have been the late actress’s 54th birthday. Doherty, best known for Beverly Hills, 90210 and Charmed, passed away on July 13 after an eight-year battle with metastatic Stage 4 breast cancer.

Gellar, who turns 48 on April 15, posted never-before-seen footage of Doherty’s 53rd birthday celebration on Instagram. The clip showed friends serenading Shannen in a kitchen as she grinned and pointed at Gellar, exclaiming, “And Sarah Michelle Gellar!” The pair blew out candles on multiple cakes, laughing together.

[Image: Sarah and Shannen smiling at a birthday cake]
Caption: Sarah Michelle Gellar and Shannen Doherty celebrating Shannen’s last birthday in 2023.

In her post, Gellar wrote: “For as long as I can remember, we’ve celebrated our birthdays together… This year I will keep that tradition and celebrate you. I’m so glad we were all together last year, not knowing it would be the last like this. Happy Birthday Shannen.”

The two actresses forged a decades-long friendship after meeting in the 1990s while working on their respective WB shows—Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Gellar) and Charmed (Doherty). Their bond remained strong, with Gellar frequently supporting Doherty during her cancer journey.

[Image: Throwback photo of Sarah and Shannen from the 1990s]
Caption: The duo’s friendship began on the sets of Buffy and Charmed.

Tributes poured in from fellow stars. Gellar’s Buffy co-star David Boreanaz commented, “Love you both,” while RuPaul’s Drag Race judge Michelle Visage wrote, “Happy birthday to both beauties!” Doherty’s Charmed co-star Rose McGowan reposted a fan’s birthday message, adding, “You are missed, you are loved.”

[Image: Rose McGowan’s Instagram Story tribute]
Caption: Rose McGowan honored Shannen on social media.

Tori Spelling, Doherty’s Beverly Hills, 90210 castmate, shared nostalgic photos of their time together, including a sweet snap of them holding hands in the ’90s. She captioned it: “Happy Earth birthday. I miss you Shan. I hope my power makes you proud.”

[Image: Tori Spelling and Shannen Doherty in a 1990s throwback]
Caption: Tori Spelling reminisced about her friendship with Shannen.

Doherty’s resilience during her cancer fight inspired many. She underwent a mastectomy, chemotherapy, and radiation while continuing to act. Her final role was in the 2024 thriller Darkness of Man. She is survived by her mother, Rosa, and her German Shepherd, Bowie.

[Image: Shannen Doherty in June 2023]
Caption: Shannen continued working until her passing at age 53.

Gellar’s emotional tribute highlighted the enduring power of their friendship, reminding fans of the joy Doherty brought to those around her. As the entertainment world mourns her loss, Shannen’s legacy as a beloved actress and fighter lives on.

[Image: Sarah’s Instagram post collage]
Caption: Fans flooded Gellar’s comments with love for Shannen.

—End—
Word count: ~600