Olivia Munn Reflects On 'Shared Battle' With Late Shannen Doherty: 'Fly So High, My Friend'

"Heartbroken" Olivia Munn is reflecting on her short-lived friendship with the late Shannen Doherty.

The actress, who is also battling breast cancer, mourned the loss of her "instant friend" Doherty, who succumbed to cancer over the weekend, by paying her a heartfelt tribute.

Shannen Doherty died on Saturday, July 13, at the age of 53, while Olivia Munn broke her silence about her cancer diagnosis in March.

The 44-year-old penned down an emotional eulogy to the late reality star on her Instagram story, stating that the shocking news of her death left her heartbroken.

Munn disclosed that her friendship with Doherty blossomed after her first diagnosis with cancer, which led her to reach out to the "90210" star for advice, especially because Doherty "bravely let the world into her journey" while she battled cancer.

"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." continued the actress, who emphasized that they bonded through their shared struggle and decided to help other women.

Munn added that despite being in the final stage of her illness, Doherty continued to offer her support.

"Cancer is really f—ing scary and Shannen faced it with such dignity, strength and grace," said Munn, who also sent her condolences to the late Doherty's mother, describing her as Doherty's "best friend, hero, and champion every step of the way."

The mom-of-one rounded up her tribute with an epic "Fly so high, my friend," and lots of heartbroken emojis.

Doherty's struggles with cancer began in 2015 following a breast cancer diagnosis, she continued to treat it up until last year when she confirmed that the cancer had spread to her bones.

Per The Blast, her longtime publicist and friend, Leslie Sloane, confirmed on Sunday, July 14, that the actress lost her battle on Saturday, July 13, after fighting the disease for almost a decade.

Sloane described the actress, who kept an open book about her health struggles, as a "devoted daughter, sister, aunt, and friend," adding that she was surrounded by her family and dog, Bowie, as she breathed her last and asked for the public to give the family privacy.

The actress, who once entered into remission shortly after her diagnosis, disclosed during an appearance on "Good Morning America" in 2017 that the cancer had returned, saying:

"It's going to come out in a matter of days or a week that I'm stage 4. So my cancer came back, and that's why I'm here, I don't think I've processed it. It's a bitter pill to swallow in a lot of ways."

Just three weeks before her tragic passing, the reality star accused her ex-husband Kurt Iswarienko of delaying their divorce process to help him evade payment of spousal support.

Court documents showed that  Doherty was optimistic that she would receive spousal support from Iswarienko as she battled with her deteriorating health condition. In the document, which was filed in June, Doherty claimed:

"It is simply not right that Kurt be permitted to prolong our divorce in hopes that I die before he is required to pay me while he continues to live his life and shirk his responsibilities to his dying wife of more than 11 years."

However, her ex-husband's lawyer disagreed with her claim and argued that she earlier rejected a settlement deal placed before her last October after she filed for divorce from the 11-year marriage in April 2023.

Like the late Doherty, Munn has also remained vocal about her cancer and disclosed in an interview that she followed the doctor's advice and went in for a complete hysterectomy and oophorectomy to take out her uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries.

The procedure was meant to stop the production of estrogen, which aids the development of luminal B breast cancer, and according to the "Newsroom" actress, "it was a big decision to make," but a necessary one as she "needed to be present for her family."

Munn's latest surgery, which happened in May, marks her fifth surgery in her cancer journey, as The Blast noted that she had undergone a double vasectomy, a lymph node dissection, reconstructive surgery, and a nipple delay.

Prior to her surgery, she used Lupron to block the production of estrogen in her body, but the side effects were too severe, and she had to go in for a faster and safer route, hence the surgery.

Munn revealed that the situation might have been much worse, but thanks to her OBGYN, Dr Thais Aliabadi, who decided to run a Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Score, thus helping her diagnose the disease early.

"She discovered my lifetime risk was at 37%. Because of that score, I was sent to get an MRI, which led to an ultrasound, which then led to a biopsy." said the actress, who also encouraged other women to go in for a breast cancer risk examination on time.

The mom-of-one remains committed to being a source of "comfort, inspiration, and support" to everyone on their cancer journey.

As Shannen Doherty rests in peace, thoughts and prayers are with Olivia Munn as she navigates this difficult period!