Charmed Star Shannen Doherty Responds to Alyssa Milano: “We Told Our Truth”

Charmed may be one of the most iconic television shows of the late 1990s and early 2000s, but the behind-the-scenes story of the series — particularly star Shannen Doherty’s unexpected exit after just three seasons — is continuing to be told. On Saturday, series star Alyssa Milano addressed claims that she got Doherty fired from the series and now, during a panel at MegaCon in Orlando, Doherty herself is speaking out and says that she and third co-star Holly Marie Combs “simply told the truth”.

Back in December, during an episode of Doherty’s podcast, Combs she was told by series producer Jonathan Levin at the time that Milano had given them an ultimatum — her or Doherty. Doherty ultimately departed the series. While Milano said that she’s “sad” about the allegations during her own MegaCon appearance, Doherty said that the truth matters and she’s at a place in her life that she’s telling it.

“We simply told the truth [on my podcast], because the truth actually does matter,” Doherty said (via TVLine). “At this point in my life, with my health diagnosis, with fighting a horrific disease every day of my life, it is also incredibly important to me that the truth actually be told as opposed to the narrative that others have put out there for me. We told it together. We told our truth, and we’re standing by our truths.”

She continued, “There is no revisionist history happening in the truth that I know we told,” she continued. “There is no brush-flinging or shoe-flinging. There is no lateness to set. There is no mediator for months on end. I recall the facts as if I were still living in them, and what I will say is what somebody else may call drama is an actual trauma for me that I’ve lived with for an extremely long time. It is only through my battle with cancer that I decided to address this trauma and be open and honest about it, so that I can actually heal from a livelihood that was taken away from me [and my family] because someone else wanted to be number one on the call sheet. That is the truth.”

Rose McGowan, who joined the show as Paige Matthews following Doherty’s departure, supported Doherty.

“We’ve protected you for as long as we could. Both of us, all of us,” she said about not revealing things to fans before now. “And there’s a great, great comedian named Katt Williams who has a wonderful, wonderful saying: ‘Winners do not let losers rewrite history.’”

What Did Holly Marie Combs and Shannen Doherty Say About Charmed?

Back in December, Combs and Doherty discussed the situation on Doherty’s podcast.

“‘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 recalls Levin saying at the time. “‘We were told [by Alyssa] it’s her or [Shannen] and Alyssa has threatened to sue us or a hostile workplace environment.’”

Doherty exited the series in its Season 3 finale in 2001 with producers killing of Doherty’s character, Prue Halliwell. Rose McGowan later joined the series as Paige to complete the trio of “Charmed Ones” so that the series could continue. Doherty explained in the podcast that she was surprised by the accusations from Milano as she couldn’t recall any issues on set with the actress and said that, even today, she remains at a loss.

“I lived a year after that sort of replaying everything in my brain and really trying to find those moments,” Doherty said. “I don’t ever remember being mean to her on set.”

She continued, “I remember an episode I directed where she did something on the Christmas break 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 also said that, in retrospect, she wishes she had sued over the situation, noting that the rumors about her exit from Charmed followed her.

“I wish I had been older and wiser, because I definitely would have sued, and I would have been honest about the situation,” Doherty said. “The rumors followed me regardless. The rumors were there and I wasn’t getting paid. It makes you look crazy when you leave a hit show only after three seasons.

Milano Responded at MegaCon

This weekend, Milano did a panel at MegaCon in Orlando and addressed the firing claims, but she did not deny them. 

“I knew this was going to come up in one way or another, and I want to be very thoughtful in how I respond to any of this, and I will just say that I’m sad,” Milano told the audience. “I don’t think it’s really that I’m sad for me or my life or how it does or does not affect my life.”

“I’m the most sad for the fans. I am the most sad that a show that has meant so much to so many people has been tarnished by a toxicity that is still to this day almost a quarter of a century later still happening,” she continued. “I’m sad that people can’t move past it. I’m sad that we all can’t just celebrate the success of a show that meant so much to all of us. I have worked super hard in my life in the last 25 years to heal all of my trauma, and that’s not just all the trauma that I experienced while shooting but all of my trauma.” 

“I’ve worked really hard to heal the bits because I understand that hurt people hurt people and my intention is to be a healed person that helps heal people,” she continued.