AceShowbiz - Shannen Doherty's ex-husband Ashley Hamilton has paid tribute to her in the wake of her passing. In a statement, the actor described his former spouse as his "guardian angel" for helping him through a tough time.

"Shannen was not only my wife, she was my guardian angel," the 49-year-old declared. "Even though things don't always work out the way we hope they will, she stood by my side during some of my darkest times. My love and admiration for her lasted far longer than our short-lived marriage."

Ashley, who was married to Shannen from 1993 to 1994, continued, "Watching her battle that horrific disease with such stoicism was inspiring to many, but even more so to me since I am a cancer survivor." He added, "The world lost a free-spirited soul and my heart aches for her and for all those who loved her. May she rest in peace."

Ashley was Shannen's first husband after the actress was briefly engaged to cosmetics heir Dean Jay Factor in early 1993. She went on to wed poker player Rick Salomon in 2002, but the marriage was annulled after just nine months.

Earlier this year, Shannen opened up about her relationship with Ashley on the "Let's Be Clear with Shannen Doherty" podcast. She told former "90210" co-star Jason Priestley that their marriage issue contributed to her being fired from the show after season 4.

"Towards my last season, I was in a really horrible marriage and there were things transpiring in that marriage that made it very hard for me to consistently be on time for work," she said in January. "And I know that that became a very big problem for the rest of you, because as it should be, because if everybody else is on time and you're waiting for one person, it sucks."

Shannen passed away on July 13 at the age of 53 after losing her battle with breast cancer. Her last few days were marked by a decision to finalize her divorce from photographer Kurt Iswarienko, whom she married in October 2011.