Shannen Doherty was finalizing her divorce from Kurt Iswarienko just before her death. The pair wed in 2011.
Shannen Doherty was near the end of her contentious divorce from Kurt Iswarienko just one day before her devastating death.
On Monday, ET obtained court documents that show the Charmed actress -- who passed away on Saturday at the age of 53 after a long battle with cancer -- had signed papers for a "default or uncontested dissolution" of her marriage to the photographer on July 12. Iswarienko signed his half on July 13, the same day Doherty died.
"The parties have entered into a written agreement regarding their property and their marriage or domestic partnership rights, including support, the original of which is being or has been submitted to the court," the court papers state.
The pair were married in October 2011 and separated in January 2023, with Doherty filing for divorce in April of that year. At the time, the actress' rep, Leslie Sloane, told ET that divorce was the "last thing Shannen wanted" but that "she felt she was left with no other option."
The documents further state the pair -- who began dating in 2008 -- agreed on the separation of their property and assets, and that they asked the court to terminate support requests. The topic of spousal support was a hotly-contested issue in the couple's legal separation.
In a previous filing, Doherty asked the court to order Iswarienko to pay $15,434 per month in spousal support, retroactive to June 1. She also requested that the court order him to contribute $9,100 in attorney's fees and other costs. She alleged that due to a significant decrease in her Charmed residual checks and her medical expenses, she needed spousal support to make ends meet.
"While I have been unable to work, incurring exorbitant medical expenses not covered by insurance to undergo experimental treatments in hopes of prolonging my life, Kurt has been utilizing the airplane, spending thousands of dollars at medical spas, jewelry stores, Gucci, and on flights for his 'agent,' while simultaneously claiming that he has insufficient funds with which to support me," Doherty stated.
In her 305-page filing from earlier this year, she also shared that it was her belief that her estranged husband was being "permitted to prolong our divorce in hopes that I die before he is required to pay me [spousal support]."
As the couple's divorce played out, Doherty at one point shared on her podcast, Let's Be Clear With Shannen Doherty, that she believed Iswarienko had been unfaithful to her prior to her January 2023 brain surgery to remove a tumor. Iswarienko and his reps denied the claim.
In June, the Beverly Hills, 90210 star revealed that she would once again be undergoing chemotherapy for cancer after several previous bouts with the malady. Doherty was first diagnosed with cancer in 2015 and spent four years in remission before it returned into stage 4 in 2020.
In one of the final episodes of her Let's Be Clear podcast, the actress emotionally opened up after having to go through another round of chemo for her stage 4 breast cancer, telling her followers that she would continue fighting but that it was already taking a toll on her.
"I thought I was fine. I am having to go back on chemo and it's really hard, like the idea of going through that all over again has wrecked me," Doherty said in the episode. During her last battle with breast cancer, the disease spread to her brain and bones.
In March, Doherty told podcast listeners about her mental health and said that in spite of her ongoing divorce proceedings and cancer treatments, she was finally feeling "happy" with her life.
Just months prior, the actress talked with ET about why she felt the need to document her health struggles so openly on her podcast and social media channels. According to Doherty, her end goal was to inspire others and show the world that cancer patients can still make a difference, even when they are fighting a stage 4 diagnosis.
"I just hope that any industry -- whether it be the entertainment industry, whether it be banks, whether it be where people are getting jobs -- not look at people with stage 4 cancer, with which whatever kind of cancer it is, and count them out and say, 'Well, they're gonna get too tired,' or 'They're not gonna remember this,' or 'They’re gonna make mistakes,'" she shared.
On Sunday, Sloane confirmed to ET that Doherty had died after a long and valiant battle with cancer.
"It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the passing of actress, Shannen Doherty," the actress's publicist shared. "On Saturday, July 13th she lost her battle with cancer after many years of fighting the disease."
The statement continued, "The devoted daughter, sister, aunt and friend was surrounded by her loved ones as well as her dog, Bowie. The family asks for their privacy at this time so they can grieve in peace."
RELATED CONTENT:
