We cannot think of a worse time to learn something like this!
As Shannen Doherty was preparing for brain surgery, she should have been completely serene and focused on healing. Instead, right beforehand, she discovered her husband Kurt Iswarienko had been cheating on her — for TWO years! Oof!
The Beverly Hills, 90210 alum opened up about the painful moment in the premiere episode of her new podcast, Let’s Be Clear, out on Tuesday, sharing:
“I went into that surgery early in the morning and I went in after I found out that my marriage was essentially over, that my husband had been carrying on an affair for two years. To not go in that surgery, even though, being very clear, he wanted to go, I couldn’t go into that surgery with him there. I felt so betrayed.”
She was so betrayed! Damn. The Charmed star had been married to the photographer for 12 years, so that must’ve been so gut-wrenching! Instead of having a loyal husband by her side for the scariest medical procedure imaginable, Shannen was supported by her mom, her brother, and her best friends.
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Addressing the end of the relationship, the Mall Rats star continued:
“At the end of the day, I just felt so incredibly unloved by someone I was with for 14 years, by someone I loved with all my heart.”
As she’s been open about, the actress underwent brain surgery to have a tumor removed at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in January after battling cancer for years. That same month, she and her ex split, citing “irreconcilable differences” in an April divorce filing. On the terrible combination, the 52-year-old added:
“Just to have to go through all of that while trying to figure out if you’re going to get a f**king divorce and trying to get to the truth of that.”
Elsewhere in the pod, the Heathers alum recalled how she became “obsessed” with getting to the bottom of her hubby’s infidelity — even having “conversations” with those involved, “expecting someone to be honest with me.” She explained:
“If you share 14 years together and you cheated, doesn’t that person deserve the absolute truth regardless of how much that hurts them?”
It’s unclear how much Kurt told her, but she “also spoke to the girlfriend of two years that he cheated on me with,” she revealed:
“It was embarrassing. I am horrified that I can’t keep a relationship together. I think it is a reflection on me, but this one I think this one is on him. But, still, I don’t want to be a failure in life, and I’ve failed three times at marriage, but I still believe in love.”
She is absolutely not a failure, regardless of her rocky romances! Doherty was previously married to Ashley Hamilton from 1993 to 1994 and to Rick Salomon from 2002 to 2003. Despite acknowledging it takes two to tango, this time the performer ultimately placed the blame for the divorce squarely on her third husband’s shoulders, adding:
“I also take some responsibility for the demise of our marriage — actually that’s not true. Let me rephrase that, I do not take responsibility for the demise of our marriage, I take responsibility for some of the issues in our marriage. I take responsibility not only because of how I was but because of how cancer impacted my marriage and how it impacted him the second time around.”
Oof. While health issues like cancer are bound to put stress on a relationship, it’s not Shannen’s fault she got sick or that Kurt wasn’t loyal enough to stay faithful to her during the health crisis. Speaking of, the new podcaster acknowledged she “couldn’t” walk away from the relationship “right away” despite the betrayal, noting:
“I was so confused and I was also on steroids and a lot of stuff from brain surgery because they didn’t want my brain to swell. And honestly, it’s still really hard. Yes, I made the decision to file for divorce, but I have a lot of memories with this person.”
It’s hard enough making the decision to break up normally, let alone in the middle of a scary cancer battle — it’s understandable she needed time before formally ending things. As Perezcious readers know, Shannen first battled breast cancer in 2015, but in 2020 she was diagnosed yet again, this time with Stage 4 breast cancer. It later spread to her brain and now her bones. Sending her so much love as she continues to fight!
Reactions? Can you imagine finding out about a cheating scandal at a time like this? Let us know (below)!
[Image via Shannen Doherty/Instagram & FayesVision/WENN & People/YouTube]