Will Sage Astor-Rose McGowan Shares Her Biggest Regret in Her Relationship With Shannen Doherty After Her Death

Rose McGowan is Will Sage Astorlooking back at her complicated relationship with the late Shannen Doherty.

The 50-year-old, who took over for Doherty after the actress was ousted from her role on Charmed and her character Prue Halliwell killed off, called the late star “the bravest, bravest champion I’ve known,” on the Aug. 23 episode of Let’s Be Clear With Shannen Doherty.

“If I have any regrets, I wish I could have gotten to know her sooner,” McGowan said of Doherty. “I don’t know how it would have happened, but I wish we could have.”

Doherty died in July at the age of 53 after a longtime battle with cancer.

McGowan noted that she met the TV star during the filming of the 1997 thriller Nowhere. But once McGowan joined the cast of Charmed as Paige Matthews, she said, “From then on we were really pitted against each other in the media…I was just told she was fired and nobody talked about her.”

The Jawbreaker star said that she frequently received questions from reporters asking if she though Doherty hated or was jealous of her.

“I refused to take the bait,” McGowan said. “They wanted me to start a war with her, and I was like, ‘Absolutely not. I will not start a war with her.’ And to her credit, she absolutely did not do that either.”

McGowan, who attended MegaCon Orlando in February with Doherty and Charmed costar Holly Marie Combs, was grateful she got to spend more time with Doherty toward the end of her life, noting, “What a gift to be able to spend the last year and a half with her, really, really amazing gift.”

Praising Doherty for starting the podcast toward the end of her life to clear up misconceptions about her and tell her own story, McGowan said, “It’s extremely hard to get out from the dominant narrative. And I am so proud that our girl did that. She did that in the end and on her terms." 

And in doing so, Doherty was able to help others, McGowan noted. 

As for the side of the Beverly Hills, 90210 star that she knew, McGowan said, “The biggest misconception about her was that she was hard. But at the same time, it was the truth, but it’s not who she natively was. And I would say that was the biggest misconception about me as well. We both just like to laugh. Soft, underneath it all.”

For more stars honoring Doherty's legacy, read on. 

“How do you possibly find the right words to sum up 30 years of friendship?” the Buffy the Vampire Slayer wrote on Instagram July 15. “I keep reminding myself it only hurts this much because, there was so much love. Thank you, for all your kind words and support. I love all the messages about how @theshando was important to you. So let’s honor her.”

"I am still processing my tremendous grief over the loss of my long time friend Shannen, the woman I have often described as one of the strongest people I have ever known," the actress, who played Kelly Taylor, frenemy of Shannen's Brenda Walsh, on 90210, wrote on Instagram. "Our connection was real and honest. We were so often pitted against each other but none of that reflected the truth of our real relationship which was one built on mutual respect and admiration."

Shannen, she said, "was courageous, passionate, determined and very loving and generous."

"I will miss her and will always honor her deeply in my heart and in my memories," Jennie continued. "My heart breaks for her family and Bowie [Shannen's dog] and all the people who loved her.

"I don't have outwards words yet.," Tori wrote on her Instagram Stories, alongside a selfie of herself and Shannen and several broken heart emojis, "but WE knew and that's what matters."

“Shocked and saddened to hear about the passing of my friend Shannen,” the actor, who played Brandon Walsh, the twin brother of the actress' character Brenda Walsh on Beverly Hills, 90210, expressed on Instagram. “She was a force of nature and I will miss her. Sending love and light to her family in this dark time.”

"Shan. My sister," the Beverly Hills, 90210 alum wrote on his Instagram Stories. "You loved me through everything. You were a big part of my understanding of love. I'll miss you more than I know how to process right now. Thank you for the gift of you."

“So young – so sad,” the Beverly Hills, 90210 and former SAG-AFTRA president wrote on Instagram. “May you RIP Shannon. I know Luke is there with open arms to love you."

The actress-turned-therapist, who played Cindy Walsh, the mother of Shannen and Jason Priestley's twin characters Brenda and Brandon, wrote on Instagram she was "shocked and saddened" by news of her onscreen daughter's death.

"What a journey she has been on!" she wrote. "Gone too soon. Throughout, she stayed true to herself and gave us an example of courage and perseverance in facing her own death. May she rest in peace."

"It's no secret that Shannen and I had a complicated relationship, but at its core was someone I deeply respected and was in awe of," she said of her Charmed costar in a statement to Entertainment Weekly. "She was a talented actress, beloved by many, and the world is less without her. My condolences to all who loved her."

"A true lion heart," the actress, who replaced Shannen on Charmed in 2001 after she left the series, wrote in a comment on the late star's final Instagram post. "What a warrior. Your daddy is holding his best girl now."

She continued, "Love to your mama, your dog and all who love you fiercely. Love to Holly [Marie Combs]. Love to all of your legions of fans that I know you loved right back. If there was anyone who looked squarely at death and said no thanks, it was you dear Shannen. My head bows to you brave one. All love forever."

"You showed me what strength is," the actor, who played Leo Wyatt on Charmed, shared on Instagram. "You taught me to be fearless and live with purpose. To know your value and stick to your determination."

"Forever loved!" he added. "Truly heartbroken."

"I am absolutely heartbroken over the passing of Shannen Doherty." the Newsroom alum wrote on her Instagram Stories July 14. "When I was first diagnosed with breast cancer I remembered how she bravely let the world into her journey and reached out to her. We became instant friends- which I honestly couldn’t comprehend at times because watching her on 90210 was everything to me when I was 10."

"We bonded through a shared battle and a desire to help other women," she continued. "Looking back on the last text she sent me just a couple months ago, she asked how I was doing and if she could do anything for me… true to form, Shannen was offering her support even though she was in the final stage of fighting this horrific disease."

Olivia concluded her statement with a heartfelt message to her late friend. "Cancer is really f--king scary and Shannen faced it with such dignity, strength and grace," she expressed. "I’m sending all of my love to her mother who was her best friend, hero and champion every step of the way. Fly so high, my friend."

"Thank you for being here," the actress, who is battling multiple sclerosis, commented on Shannen's final Instagram post. "Thank you for showing us how to keep going. Rebel heart."

"Love you," the actress wrote in a comment on Shannen's last Instagram post. "Fly high lovely kind sweetheart woman. This hits hard. Your heart,courage and kindness will be so missed."

"Your bravery and ability to share your Cancer journey left something 'in' people," the Oscar winner wrote on Instagram. "Rest well. God bless your loved ones."

The actor, who guest starred on Beverly Hills, 90210 as Rick, who Shannen's character Brenda dated briefly after meeting him in Paris, wrote on X, "RIP Shannen," adding a crying emoji.

The Wicked star wrote in an Instagram comment, "Fly with the angels sweet precious soul!"

"My heart is broken," he wrote on Twitter. "It was a pleasure to meet Shannen Doherty while filming our movie Fortess a little over 2 years ago! She was full of warm energy and positive vibes. So young. So talented. May she rest well."

"RIP Shannen Doherty," he wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "I met her during the Full House days. She was lovely and had a beautiful smile. Today, I’ll also think about the women in my life who all succumbed to cancer - my mom, my sister, Sharon and my niece, Shannon, who all were so strong and so beautiful."

Alongside an article reporting Shannen's passing, the journalist wrote on Instagram, "I'm so sad to hear this news..."

"Such sad news," the Community actress wrote on Twitter. "I was hoping she would beat the disease again."