Shannen Doherty: I Earned My Bad-Girl Rep But I've Changed

There was no question that Shannen Doherty was the ultimate bad girl of the '90s. But though the Beverly Hills, 90210 star owns up to her mistakes, she stills says she pales in comparison to today's world of misbehaving celebs.

Doherty, who had a short-lived run on last season's Dancing with the Stars, talks to Parade magazine about her new book, Badass: A Hard-Earned Guide to Living Life with Style and (the Right) Attitude and how she's getting past her mean girl persona.

"I have a rep," the 39-year-old actress says. "Did I earn it? Yeah, I did. But, after awhile you sort of try to shed that rep because you're kind of a different person. You've evolved and all of the bad things you've done in your life have brought you to a much better place." 

In fact, Doherty thinks she seems innocent compared to some of this generation's headline-makers. "The irony is that, if I was doing the same stuff now, I wouldn't be getting the attention," she says. "Like I never did a sex tape. I never didn't wear panties and flash a camera. You sort of stop and go, 'Wow, it's sort of what's acceptable now.' And, then, they always have excuses. When I made a mistake, I would admit to it. These girls don't seem to see their own mistakes, much less learn from them."

Speaking of sex tapes, Doherty also dishes about her bad-boy ex-husband, Rick Salomon. "After we split, he was on those sex tapes with Paris Hilton," she says. "I'm not going to lie and say I didn't love him even though the bad times sure outweighed the good. But, like any badass, I think I've learned from my mistakes."

When it came to fellow bad girl Lindsay Lohan, Doherty was was eager to offer advice to the troubled star (whose situation she calls "horrific" and "exploitative"). "I think that it's still about having faith in yourself," she says. "You've hit some road bumps and maybe they made you fall down and you've got some gravel and asphalt in your face because things are that bad. But have faith because you can get better and you can become the woman I'm sure you want to be." 

Doherty also discussed another actress she admires who started off with a bad rap: Angelina Jolie. "You see the progression that she's made as a mature woman," Doherty says. "Angelina is an inspiration."

But, Doherty hasn't completely let go of her tough side. "You can either be a bad girl in life, or you can become a badass," she says. "It means owning who you are and being compassionate and knowing when you've made a mistake and not repeating it. And, also not being afraid to kick some ass and take names."

Do you think Shannen Doherty is worse or better than the bad girls of today? Chime in below!

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