What To Know About Shannen Doherty's Brother Sean

In July 2024, actor Shannen Doherty died at 53 years old. Her cause of death was cancer, and heartbreaking reactions to the news were shared online by Shannen's friends and peers in the entertainment industry. One of the saddest reactions was from Shannen's older brother, Sean Doherty. Sean's statement was shared to the Facebook page for his production company Sharpened Iron Studios.

"Shannen is a lover, a talented actress, activist, a loving daughter, aunt to my 7 children, my sister, and much more," Sean said. He explained how advocacy for women in the entertainment industry was something she advocated for staunchly, despite how it affected her career. He also spoke about her tenacity and said, "Shannen can be summarized in one word: a fighter." After describing the different ways Shannen fought for other people and to a lesser extent herself, Sean added, "I love my sister dearly and will never be able to convey the impact she had on me, my family, and the world."

Not only were Sean and Shannen siblings, they also collaborated at his production company.

The Amarillo, Texas-based Sharpened Iron Studios was founded by CEO Sean Doherty in 2020. They create Christian content and work on all aspects of the filmmaking process for movies, TV, documentaries, and commercials, from developing an idea to filming and editing it. The independent production company also offer the rental of their film equipment and filming spaces.

In an October 2021 interview with Amarillo Globe-News, Sean was interviewed about his company's first feature-length film "What Remains." He explained how October 27, 2020 was an important date for the company: "That was really the first day that SIS was fully up and going. It really determined that we were going to be able to do what we wanted to do here at the downtown campus, so this really has come full circle."

According to their Facebook post announcing Shannen Doherty's passing, she worked closely with her brother at Sharpened Iron Studios. The post said, "She was not only a talented actress but also an enthusiastic supporter and investor in our studio. Her dedication to training the next generation of filmmakers was evident through her instruction course at the studio, 'Acting with Shannen Doherty.'"

In a 2016 interview with Capitol Morning Report, Sean Doherty talked about his love of big game hunting and cooking with what he hunted. At the time, he worked in the California government as a chief of staff for politician Devon Mathis. In that interview, it was also revealed how Sean met his wife Judith Anne (also known as Thanne). The duo first crossed paths in 1993 at the Sacramento Young Republicans group.

"My pride is just sitting back and looking at the family I've been blessed with," Sean said in the interview, likely referring to his sister, wife, and seven children: Virginia, Sean Jr., Tabitha, John, Francis, Dixon, and Zachariah. Although Shannen Doherty chose not to have kids due to her health, she said on her "Let's Be Clear" podcast that she still hoped to figure something out one day to have children, mentioning adoption as a possibility. She also said (via People) that Sean's kids were special to her and gave her a maternal role: "I'm biding my time, and in the meantime, I've got my best friend's kids, and my brother [Sean]'s seven kids. They're all grown up, but that's OK."

In addition to Sean, Shannen is survived by their mother, Rosa Doherty.