Rose McGowan and Sarah Michelle Gellar Pay Tribute to Shannen Doherty on 1st Birthday Since Her Death: ‘You Are Missed’

Doherty, who died in July 2024, would have turned 54 on Saturday, April 12

Shannen Doherty is being remembered by her loved ones on her birthday.

The late Beverly Hills, 90210 star’s close friends Sarah Michelle Gellar and Rose McGowan marked her first birthday since her death at the age of 53 in July 2024 with sentimental tributes on social media.

Gellar — whose own birthday is just two days after Doherty’s — kicked off the tributes with an Instagram post on Saturday, April 12, showing an old photo of herself and Doherty posing together, which appeared to be taken just before the Charmed actress blew out the candles of a birthday cake.

The Buffy the Vampire Slayer star, 47, also shared a more recent video of Doherty celebrating her birthday alongside several friends. They could be heard singing “Happy Birthday” as a few people brought over birthday cakes. Midway through the song, as the group sang “Happy birthday, dear Shannen,” Doherty could be heart interjecting “and Sarah Michelle Gellar!” before blowing out her candles. 

“For as long as I can remember, we have celebrated our birthdays together @theshando,” Gellar wrote in the caption. “This year I will keep that tradition, and celebrate you. I am so glad we were all together on this day last year, not knowing it would be the last like this. Happy Birthday Shannen. 🕊️.”

Doherty’s Charmed costar McGowan, 51, also paid tribute to her by reposting a fan post on her Instagram Stories which featured a picture of Doherty with the words, “Happy Birthday Shannen Doherty.” She added, “You are missed, you are loved @theshando.”

Both actresses also shared tributes to Doherty after the news of her death broke last year. At the time, Gellar wrote, “How do you possibly find the right words to sum up 30 years of friendship? I keep reminding myself it only hurts this much because, there was so much love,” before thanking fans for their “kind words and support.”

Though Doherty and McGowan never shared the screen on Charmed (as the latter joined the show after the former left), the pair formed a close friendship and bond over the years. Following Doherty’s death, McGowan described her as having had a “heart of a lion.” 

“Getting to really know her later in life, a beautiful gift. This woman fought to live,” she wrote on social media, adding, “Our lives had been intertwined in a unique way. We laughed at dark forces who wanted us to hate each other, instead we chose love and respect. A soft-hearted badass as there ever was. A force of energy that will live forever in hearts.”

Doherty’s publicist confirmed Doherty’s death to PEOPLE, and said that she was “surrounded by her loved ones as well as her dog Bowie” when she died.

The actress’ death followed a years-long journey with cancer. In November 2023, Doherty revealed to PEOPLE that her stage 4 breast cancer had spread to her bones, but vowed she was “not done with living.”

“My greatest memory is yet to come,” she said. “I pray. I wake up and go to bed thanking God, praying for the things that matter to me without asking for too much. It connects me to a higher power and spirituality. My faith is my mantra.”