Shannen Doherty Praises Kate Middleton’s Grace and “Strength” Following Emotional Cancer Announcement

Shannen Doherty is praising Kate Middleton for how she has handled her cancer diagnosis both personally and publically, and she’s asking fans to give the Princess of Wales the space and respect she needs to process her health scare in peace.

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Kate shared a video on Friday (March 22) that announced she has been privately battling cancer since January. She learned the news after undergoing abdominal surgery that month, and she is now in the early stages of chemotherapy.

“This of course came as a huge shock, and William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family,” Kate, 42, said in the video. “As you can imagine, this has taken time. It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment.”

Prior to Kate Middleton’s announcement, she had been absent from her typical public duties for nearly three months, which made social media swarm with speculations about her health and marriage. So Shannen Doherty, who is also battling cancer, took to social media to air her frustrations.

“Being a public figure does not mean the public owns that person,” she wrote on Instagram. “We ALL have the right to go through illness or life privately.”

“The onslaught of conspiracy theories, ownership, and plain, morbid curiosity forced this person to explain herself before she had come to terms with it and explained to her children,” Shannen continued. “I pray this is a learning moment for us all to respect, privacy or others, regardless of being in the public eye.”

In her message, Kate admitted that it was difficult to explain the situation to her three children, George, 10, Charlotte, 8, and Louis, 5, “in a way that’s appropriate for them.” And because of the public uproar, it was likely impossible to tell her family on her own terms.

“Princess Kate, I admire your strength through the endless onslaught you’ve been under while going through cancer,” Shannen concluded.

Shannen Doherty is currently battling Stage 4 breast cancer that has spread to her bones. Kate Middleton did not reveal any details about her cancer, but she did note that her chemotherapy is for “preventative” reasons.

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