Amy Robach is sharing a surprising place that Shannen Doherty found inspiration amid her cancer diagnosis.
On the latest episode of her podcast, Amy and T.J., the former GMA3 co-anchor, 51, said that the Charmed alum — who died at age 53 on Saturday, July 13 — once quoted a Snoopy and Charlie Brown cartoon to her that she would look at “daily” as a reminder in her final years of life.
“She referenced a Charlie Brown, Snoopy cartoon that she looked at, she said daily, like in the morning to just remind her she knew her time was limited,” Robach began. “All of our time is limited, but she was acutely aware of it, obviously.”
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Robach recalled Doherty quoting a scene between the cartoon characters, saying, “She said, ‘Charlie Brown says to Snoopy, YOLO, Snoopy. You only live once.’ And Snoopy said, ‘You know, you got it wrong, Charlie Brown. You only die once. We live every day.’ ”
“And that was how she chose to live these last few years,” Robach shared of the Beverly Hills, 90210 star, who spoke about her experience with cancer and growing up as a child star in Hollywood on her own podcast, Let’s Be Clear until her death.
Robach added that Doherty chose to speak out about her experiences “very publicly.”
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“And for that, I appreciate all that she gave and all that she did,” Robach concluded the anecdote.
On the podcast, Robach told her partner and co-host T.J. Holmes that she bonded with the Heathers star because they were initially diagnosed with breast cancer just two years apart,
“Every cancer is different, but she and I connected, and she knew she was in a fight for her life. And I just always marveled at her bravery,” she said. “I was blown away by her vulnerability and willingness to share her story to help other people get through really tough times.”
Robach was first diagnosed with Stage II breast cancer in October 2013. She had a double mastectomy and eight rounds of chemotherapy. A final round of treatment followed in April 2014.
Doherty was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015 and shared that she was in remission two years later in 2017. However, by 2019, the cancer returned. Doherty announced her diagnosis of metastatic stage 4 cancer publicly in 2020. Then, in June of 2023, the actress shared that the cancer had spread to her brain and that she had undergone surgery.
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Doherty’s longtime publicist Leslie Sloane confirmed her death to PEOPLE on Sunday, July 14.
“It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the passing of actress Shannen Doherty. On Saturday, July 13, she lost her battle with cancer after many years of fighting the disease,” Sloane said in a statement.
“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,” Sloane continued.
