Sarah Michelle Gellar pays tribute to Shannen Doherty after her death

Sarah Michelle Gellar remembers her longtime friend Shannen Doherty.

Following the news that Doherty died on Saturday, July 13, at the age of 53, Gellar, 47, posted a touching tribute on Instagram to the late actress, who was best known for her roles in the television series Beverly Hills, 90210 And Charmed.

“How do you even find the right words to sum up 30 years of friendship? I keep reminding myself that it only hurts so much because there was so much love,” Gellar, 47, began the tribute. “Thank you for all your kind words and support. I love all the messages about how important @theshando was to you. So let’s honor her.”

“Shan loves animals more than anything, especially dogs. In her memory, let’s support our favorite animal charities. Whether that’s donating money, visiting the local shelter to pet and walk the animals there, or simply tagging her in the comments so other people can learn about the work she does, I know it would make our girl happy (and give her that deep, throaty laugh we all loved so much) 💔 💔💔.”

Along with the touching message, Gellar shared a carousel of photos with Doherty over the years and shared even more images on her Instagram stories.

She also tagged a local animal welfare nonprofit, the Lange Foundation, which rescues injured and abandoned pets from overcrowded Los Angeles shelters, in the comments section as an example of an organization one could donate to in Doherty’s name.

Leslie Sloane, Doherty’s longtime publicist, confirmed the star’s death to PEOPLE on Sunday, July 14.

“It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the passing of actress Shannen Doherty. On Saturday, July 13, she lost her battle with cancer after many years of battling the disease,” Sloane said in a statement.

“The devoted daughter, sister, aunt and friend was surrounded by her loved ones as well as her dog Bowie. The family asks for their privacy during this time so they can grieve in peace,” Sloane added.

She and Gellar have been close friends for decades. In an interview with PEOPLE in 2020, the Cruel intentions Star shared that she and Doherty – who reportedly met in the 1990s through their respective Warner Bros. television shows (Buffy the Vampire Slayer And Charmed) – talked about “every day”.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Doherty helped Gellar improve her cooking skills by teaching her “so many recipes” in the midst of quarantine.

“She’s incredible,” Gellar told PEOPLE at the time. “It’s funny, my husband (Freddie Prinze Jr.) always says you always learn more from your friends than you do from your spouse. He’s this amazing cook, but I never learned anything from him because I get so nervous and frustrated and he gets frustrated with me. I learned so many recipes from Shannen during quarantine because she’s much more patient with me in the kitchen.”

Earlier this year, Gellar also praised Doherty for being an incredible support for her family during the pandemic. During her appearance on a February episode of Heather Stars Let’s talk straight with Shannen Doherty On the podcast, Gellar took a moment to thank Doherty for everything she has done for her and her children.

“You have provided such a beautiful life for my children during the COVID pandemic, and I have struggled so much to give them that freedom and space to be kids and have adventures,” said Gellar, who has daughter Charlotte and son Rocky with Prinze, 48. “And you have opened your home to us during the COVID pandemic in a way that I will be grateful for for the rest of my life.”

She said Doherty even stepped in to help with the children’s online homeschooling.

“You gave them adventure and just freedom. And I can never repay that because that was such a difficult time. Seeing my kids so happy gave me pause. People don’t know this, but Shannen would sit there sometimes while they were in Zoom school and help them. We had lockdowns and she would plan adventures,” she continued.

Looking back, Gellar remembered the quarantine weeks as “a very special time.”

“And even though this time was so stressful and I never want to repeat it, I never want to homeschool again. There are times when I miss this slow pace of life and just being able to be and spend time with the kids too, right?” she added.

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When Doherty turned 52 last April, Gellar posted a light-hearted tribute to mark the occasion. Her post highlighted their playful friendship with a series of photos of the two women fooling around together. One photo shows the two in large inflatable suits, while another shows them attempting to pour champagne glasses backwards into their mouths.

“It’s your birthday @theshando so in your honor here’s a slideshow of some of the sillier stunts (swipe right). Any suggestions for new ones?” Gellar captioned the images.

Doherty commented on the post: “@sarahmgellar we’re drinking a lot in these photos!! Love you S!!”