Holly Marie Combs of Getty Images has reported that Alyssa Milano threatened to sue the higher-ups of Charmed if Shannen Doherty wasn’t fired from the WB series. In an episode of Doherty’s ‘Let’s Be Clear’ podcast, Combs recalled that producer Jonathan Levin told her, “We didn’t mean to [fire Shannen], but we’ve been backed into this corner. We’re basically in this position where it’s one or the other. We were told by Alyssa it’s her or [Shannen] and Alyssa has threatened to sue us for a hostile workplace environment.” Combs explained that she and Levin had the conversation during a meeting where Combs requested to leave the show after Doherty’s exit.
Combs claimed that Milano built a case against her and Doherty, apparently “documenting every time she felt uncomfortable on set.” Combs admitted she was surprised by Milano’s allegations. She starred on all eight seasons of Charmed, which aired from 1998 to 2006, as middle sister Piper Halliwell. Milano portrayed youngest sibling Phoebe, while Doherty played Prue, the eldest of the three. Doherty’s character was abruptly killed off the show at the end of season 3 and replaced with Rose McGowan, who joined the cast as long-lost half-sister Paige Matthews.
While discussing the topic with Combs on her podcast, Doherty clarified there was no “hate” toward anyone, and explained that nobody “in their right mind would quit a hit show that is paying them a ton of money [and] that they enjoyed doing.” She alleged that she and Milano “never had it out” with each other. “I lived a year after [leaving the show] sort of replaying everything in my brain and really trying to find those moments and I couldn’t find them,” Doherty said. She hypothesized that disagreements over her personal website or pay disparities could have contributed to the tension.
Combs, meanwhile, defended Doherty for doing all she could to keep things positive between the three on-screen sisters and wondered if Doherty’s previous firing from Beverly Hills, 90210 — also helmed by Spelling Television — contributed to her being fired from Charmed. IconButtonOpen Comments Icon Close Comments Icon
While Combs and Doherty claimed that Milano’s allegations were the reason for the BH90210 actress’ exit, Milano has previously denied knowing why Doherty left the show. “I don’t know if she got fired, we never really found out what happened,” she said during a 2013 episode of Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen, admitting that there were “definitely some rough days” between the three women. In 2021, Milano told ET that she and Doherty were “cordial” and that she takes “responsibility for a lot” of the problems between them. “I think a lot of our struggle came from feeling that I was in competition rather than it being that sisterhood that the show was so much about. And I have some guilt about my part in that,” she said.