Shannen Doherty’s ex-husband Ashley Hamilton pays tribute to her ‘free-spirited soul’ after her death

Shannen Doherty’s ex-husband Ashley Hamilton has paid tribute to her after she died of breast cancer at 53.

The Charmed actress was married to Hamilton for one year from 1993 to 1994. In a recent statement made to US Weekly, he explained that, despite their short marriage, he still admired her for experiencing what she did.

“Shannen was not only my wife, she was my guardian angel,” he told the outlet. “Even though things don’t always work out the way we hope they will, she stood by my side during some of my darkest times. My love and admiration for her lasted far longer than our short-lived marriage.”

Hamilton continued, mentioning that he was a cancer survivor himself, so watching her experience was emotional for him. “Watching her battle that horrific disease with such stoicism was inspiring to many, but even more so to me since I am a cancer survivor,” he said.

Despite watching Doherty, the comedian admitted that he never reached out to her after she revealed her diagnosis.

“The world lost a free-spirited soul and my heart aches for her and for all those who loved her,” his statement ended. “May she rest in peace.”

Following her divorce from Hamilton, Doherty went on to marry poker player Rick Salomon from 2002 to 2003 and then Kurt Iswarienko in 2011. Her divorce from the photographer was finalized one day before her death.

According to court documents obtained by People, Doherty agreed to a “default or uncontested dissolution” of her marriage to Iswarienko, meaning it was likely finalized outside of a courtroom. The two of them had also signed a filing to waive spousal support.

The documents stated: “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 Beverly Hills 90210 star’s publicist Leslie Sloane confirmed her death on Saturday, July 13. “It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the passing of actress Shannen Doherty,” Sloane said in a statement.

“The devoted daughter, sister, aunt and friend was surrounded by her loved ones as well as her dog, Bowie,” Sloane added in a statement shared with People. “The family asks for their privacy at this time so they can grieve in peace.”

The actress was previously in remission in 2017, but announced that her cancer had returned in 2020 and was at stage four.

“It’s going to come out in a matter of days or a week that I have stage four [cancer],” she told Good Morning America host Amy Robach at the time. “My cancer came back and... that’s why I’m here.”

During the talk show, Doherty revealed that she had waited a year before publicly revealing the state of her health and made the decision to open up after discovering that information would soon be made available to the public in court documents.

“I don’t think that I’ve processed it,” she added of the diagnosis. “It’s a bitter pill to swallow in a lot of ways.”