Holly Marie Combs Confirms Alyssa Milano Got Shannen Doherty Fired From ‘Charmed’

Shannen Doherty’s exit from Charmed in 2001 was due to an ultimatum set by her co-star Alyssa Milano, castmate Holly Marie Combs claims. Combs shared her recollection of the behind-the-scenes drama that led to Doherty being booted from the WB show in a Dec. 18 episode of the Heathers alum’s Let’s Be Clear podcast, saying that Milano allegedly laid down the law with production over her rift with Doherty.

Combs revealed that in the early 2000s, she had a meeting with a Charmed producer, who explained why Doherty would no longer be playing Prue Halliwell on the series. “He said, ‘We didn’t mean to – but we’ve been backed into this corner – we’re basically in this position where it’s one or the other,’” Combs claimed on the podcast. “‘We were told [by Alyssa] it’s her or [Shannen] and Alyssa has threatened to sue us for a hostile workplace environment.’”

Combs, who starred as Piper Halliwell from the show’s premiere in 1998 until 2006, said she was shocked at the inter-cast drama, as she didn’t recall any “harsh words” or fights that happened between Doherty and Milano in front of the crew. Instead, she said, the majority of the tension occurred behind the scenes of the show. Doherty agreed that she didn’t remember having any huge moments of discontent with Milano ahead of her exit.

“I lived a year after that sort of replaying everything in my brain and really trying to find those moments,” she said. “I don’t ever remember being mean to her on set.” Even when the Beverly Hills, 90210 star directed three episodes of Charmed before her exit, she remembered nothing but professionalism. “I remember an episode I directed where she did something on the Christmas break,” she recalled, “and they asked me to work around some things with her and I had no problem with it. I couldn’t have been more kind and understanding.”

Doherty, who is currently fighting cancer, said that she has grown to accept what happened with her and Milano, but that she’s not over the situation completely. “As you get older, you accept that a situation happened. Acceptance and moving on with your life does not equate to forgiveness,” she shared. “You just learn a lesson and look at somebody differently and move on.”