The 'Beverly Hills, 90210' star died on Monday after suffering a massive stroke days earlier.
Shannen Doherty is speaking out following the sudden death of her friend and former co-star, Luke Perry.
“I am in shock. Heartbroken. Devastated by the loss of my friend. I have so many memories with Luke that make me smile and that are forever imprinted on my heart and mind,” Doherty told People of Perry, who died on Monday at age 52 after suffering a massive stroke days earlier.
Perry's breakout role came on Beverly Hills, 90210 as bad boy Dylan McKay, the on-again, off-again boyfriend of Doherty's Brenda Walsh. And the pair's off-screen bond continued long after Doherty left the show following its fourth season.
“Luke was a smart, quiet, humble and complex man with a heart of gold and never-ending well of integrity and love. Luke reached out to me during my cancer journey and we picked right back up, albeit older and wiser, but that connection remained in tact,” shared Doherty, who announced in April 2017 that her breast cancer was in remission.
Perry went on to star as patriarch Fred Andrews on The CW hit Riverdale, and while he hadn't yet been confirmed to appear in the upcoming six-episode 90210 reunion series, Doherty said the pair were working on projects together.
“There is a special kind of love one has for each other when you are experiencing the journey we did on 90210 and of course life in general. Luke and I were working on show ideas for us," she explained. "We wanted to work with each other again and create something special and meaningful for our fans at this stage in our lives...I will miss him everyday. Every minute. Every second.”
Perry's rep confirmed his death to ET on Monday in a statement, which read in part, "He was surrounded by his children Jack and Sophie, fiancé Wendy Madison Bauer, ex-wife Minnie Sharp, mother Ann Bennett, step-father Steve Bennett, brother Tom Perry, sister Amy Coder, and other close family and friends. The family appreciates the outpouring of support and prayers that have been extended to Luke from around the world, and respectfully request privacy in this time of great mourning."
A source tells ET that Perry's daughter Sophie was in Africa on a humanitarian mission at the time of his stroke. According to the source, she was able to fly back to be by her father’s side during his last days.
“Luke loved his family. He raved about his kids and how proud he was of them. He showed me videos of them often,” Doherty said. “They were his heart and for him, his biggest accomplishment.”
See more on Perry's life and career in the video below.
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