Attorneys for Shannen Doherty say she is "dying of stage 4 terminal cancer" in new court documents from a lawsuit against insurance company State Farm.
The former "Beverly Hills, 90210" star on Tuesday revealed the return of her breast cancer, which was first diagnosed in 2015. (Her representative confirmed her cancer's recurrence to TODAY.) Doherty, 48, said she spoke out because didn't want people to learn about her condition from the legal filing.
"I'd rather people hear it from me,'' she told ABC News. "I don't want it to be twisted. I don't want it to be a court document. I want it to be real and authentic. And I want to control the narrative. I want people to know from me, I just didn't want them to know yet."
Doherty is suing State Farm because she claims the company disregarded her medical condition when calculating what she is owed after her California home was damaged by the Woolsey Fire in 2018.
"Plaintiff Shannen Doherty is dying of stage 4 terminal cancer," the lawsuit reads. "Instead of living out her remaining years peacefully in her home, Ms. Doherty remains displaced and battling with her insurance company."
State Farm believes it has properly paid her for the 2018 insurance claim.
“We empathize with Ms. Doherty’s health issues and wish her a full recovery,'' the company said in a statement to NBC News. "We strongly believe we have upheld our commitment to our customer and have paid what we owe on this claim. We are prepared to defend our position in court."
The lawsuit appears to be headed to trial, which is scheduled to begin on March 3.
“It is our impression that the pertinent information concerning Shannen, her claim and this case had not reached anyone above a low-to-mid-level corporate attorney before the last 24-hour news cycle; and maybe still the matter has not been elevated to the appropriate persons within the organization,'' Doherty's attorneys, Devin McRae and Peter Scott, said in a statement to NBC News.
"We have to believe higher level executives would not have rushed to the same unreasonable, unreasoned and callous positions that have cost Shannen dearly in time, energy and emotional well-being all while suffering a terminal illness. Like a good neighbor…”
Doherty's revelation about her health comes 11 months after the tragic death of her fellow "90210" star Luke Perry at 52 from a massive stroke.
Her breast cancer went into remission in 2017, and she most recently appeared on the “90210” reboot last summer. She spoke in August about how she felt "lucky to be alive" after being treated.
Doherty shared an uplifting "Peanuts" cartoon on Instagram Tuesday amidst revealing that her cancer has returned.
"We only live once, snoopy," Charlie Brown says.
"Wrong! we only die once. We live every day!" Snoopy replies.