Shannen Doherty's important body-positive message is being celebrated by her fans everywhere.
This past Sunday, the Beverly Hills 90210 star posted a makeup-free selfie alongside a reflective caption about watching movies and noticing that there were "few female characters" she could relate to.
"You know, women without fillers, without Botox, without a facelift. Women who embraced their face and all the experience it showed," she wrote.
Shannen then proceeded to make a point about beauty standards: "I have lived. I love that I’ve lived and that my face reflects my life. I survived a lot yes cancer but more than that. I embrace me now. Finally. Done with the perception magazines and Hollywood try to make us in to. I want to see women like me. Women like us."
Right away, Shannen's fans rushed to the comment section to share their support of the 50-year-old actress's empowering words. "Yes!!! Shannen!! Well said! You’re one of the realists!! Do you! Embrace authenticity and originality and be natural. we love you!," one fan wrote. "You're amazing. perfect words," someone else said.
Meanwhile, some of Shannen's famous friends also seemed to get on board with her caption. "Just thinking [of the] time I fixed my face. Hahahah. I got the same adult face as you. Hard to sit in my hands. Haha. Love you beautiful," Selma Blair wrote. Handmaid's Tale director Reed Morano noted, "You are beautiful and I love this."
This is just one of many open and honest Instagram posts from Shannen. In 2015, Shannen received her initial breast cancer diagnosis. Despite sharing that she was in remission in 2017, Shannen announced in February of 2020 that her cancer had returned and is stage 4.
"I don't think I've processed it. It's a bitter pill to swallow in a lot of ways," Shannen told ABC News's Amy Robach.
In October of 2020, Shannen sat down with her friend and fellow actress Sarah Michelle Gellar and touched on how she was doing since receiving the news.
"I love it when people say, 'we're praying for you,' and everything else, but there comes a point when you're like, 'I got this. I'm fine. I'm good,'" she told Entertainment Tonight at the time. "There are a lot of people in the world who could use prayers, and I'm feeling great. I have an amazing medical team behind me and —"
"And you can lap me at an exercise class," Sarah added.
"I have a few okay friends and stuff," Shannen continued. "I'm doing okay. I'm doing better than okay. I'm doing well. I feel strong and healthy and confident and happy."
