Shannen Doherty, the beloved actress known for her roles in "Beverly Hills, 90210" and "Charmed," recently revealed on her podcast "Let's Be Clear" that she discovered her ex-husband, Kurt Iswarienko, had been having an affair just before undergoing brain surgery in January. Doherty, who had been battling breast cancer for several years, underwent the surgery to remove a tumor that had spread to her brain. Speaking on her podcast, she shared her emotions, stating, "I went into that surgery early in the morning, and I went in after I found out that my marriage was essentially over, that my husband had been carrying on an affair for two years." The revelation left her feeling betrayed and unloved.
Despite Iswarienko's desire to be by her side during the surgery, Doherty made the difficult decision to proceed without him. She explained, "I couldn't go into that surgery with him there. I felt so betrayed. At the end of the day, I just felt so incredibly unloved by someone I was with for 14 years, by someone that I loved with all my heart." This heartbreaking situation eventually led to Doherty filing for divorce from Iswarienko in April after 11 years of marriage.
Doherty's health journey has been a rollercoaster since she was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015, going into remission in 2017. In February 2020, she announced that the cancer had returned as stage 4 and was considered "terminal." In November 2023, she shared that the cancer had spread to her bones. Throughout this difficult time, Doherty has relied on the support of her friends and loved ones, including her mother, who stood by her during the brain surgery ordeal, which she described as "the most frightening thing I have ever been through in my life." However, the added stress of dealing with her husband's alleged infidelity made the experience even more challenging. She expressed, "Just to have to go through all of that while trying to figure out if you're going to get a freaking divorce and trying to get to the truth of that."
Doherty confessed to becoming “obsessed” with learning the truth about Iswarienko's affair and even went so far as to speak with the woman he allegedly cheated with. She posed the question, "If you share 14 years together and you cheated, doesn't that person deserve the absolute truth regardless of how much that hurts them?" The actress, who always had strict boundaries around infidelity, admitted, "I never ever, ever thought in a million years that I would be that girl. I have always said from the beginning, 'If you cheat on me, you're out.' I've been that hardcore about it." However, she found herself wavering on the decision to end her marriage due to the deep connection and memories she shared with Iswarienko. The emotional toll of the situation, compounded by the physical effects of brain surgery and cancer treatments, made it difficult for her to walk away immediately. "Yes, I made the decision to file for divorce, but I have a lot of memories with this person," she said.
Doherty's surgery and subsequent divorce have shed light on the challenges she has faced both in her health journey and personal life. Despite the hardships, she remains determined and hopeful. She plans to continue sharing her experiences on her podcast, using her platform to raise awareness about her battle with cancer and inspire others. Doherty emphasized, "I don't want to die... I'm not done with living. I'm not done with creating. I'm not done with hopefully changing things for the better. I'm just not - I'm not done.".
