Explained: The messy and emotional drama going down between the Charmed cast

Over the past few months, there has been a lot of drama surrounding the cast of Charmed – Shannen Doherty, Holly Marie Combs, Alyssa Milano and Rose McGowan have all weighed in with conflicting reports on what actually went down on set and why Doherty, Combs and McGowan are not friends with Milano (and that’s putting it lightly). The back and forth has been a lot to follow, so here is the entire Charmed drama explained as things continue getting messy and emotional between the cast.

In 2021, Alyssa Milano said on her relationship with her co-stars:

Speaking on Entertainment Tonight, Alyssa Milano said: “You know, I could take responsibility for a lot of our tension that we had. 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.”

In December, Holly Marie Combs is on Shannen Doherty’s podcast

The saga really started unfolding quite bluntly in December 2023. Holly Marie Combs, who played Piper Halliwell on Charmed, was a guest on Shannen Doherty’s (who played eldest sister Prue Halliwell) Let’s Be Clear podcast.

Holly said that Charmed producer Jonathan Levin told her “‘We were told [by Alyssa] it’s her or [Shannen] and Alyssa has threatened to sue us for a hostile workplace environment.'” Shannen Doherty was fired and killed off at the end of season three of Charmed in 2000. Shannen Doherty and Holly Marie Combs said any tension that happened between the three main cast was in their trailers and they never publicly had and fights in front of the other cast or crew.

Combs then said that “by today’s standards”, the firing of Shannen Doherty “wouldn’t f*cking fly.” The two claimed Alyssa Milano wanted to be the central star of Charmed.

“I lived a year after that sort of replaying everything in my brain and really trying to find those moments [of alleged bad behavior on set] — and I couldn’t find them,” Doherty said on the podcast.

“I don’t ever remember being mean to her on set. 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,” Shannen continued. “I couldn’t have been more kind and understanding.”

Alyssa Milano responded this week at a convention in Orlando

After not responding to the podcast in December or January, when appearing at a fan convention Alyssa Milano said “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. 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. 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.”

Following this, Alyssa Milano then wrote on Instagram about Shannen Doherty and Holly Marie Combs’ “revisionist history” about what went down on the set of Charmed. She said “I will add, though, with absolute certainty — everything was documented. There was a professional mediator (I was told Holly and Shannen would not participate in any mediation) and an on-set producer/babysitter who were both brought in to investigate all claims.

“It was then recommended by this mediator, after collecting testimony from cast AND crew — what changes should be made if the show was going to continue. The studio, Aaron Spelling, and network made the decision to protect the international hit that was Charmed. I did not have the power to get anyone fired. Once Shannen left we had 5 more successful seasons and I am forever grateful.”

Getting the Charmed drama explained doesn’t end here, though. Shannen Doherty continued to respond at the Orlando convention.

Shannen Doherty made another statement addressing what Milano said

Flanked by her co-stars Holly Marie Combs and Rose McGowan, after a panel discussion with fans Shannen Doherty literally held back tears as she read a statement out from her phone.

“A lot of things have been said, and a lot of them very hurtful. Holly and I, we were not mean on the podcast, my podcast, Let’s Be Clear. In fact, we went in and we edited out anything that we felt would cause more drama. We simply told the truth because the truth actually does matter. But we wanted to try to save you, the fans, from heartbreak as much as humanly possible.

“At this point in my life with my health diagnosis — I’m sorry if I start crying — with fighting 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 put out there for me. We told it together, we told our truths and we are standing by our truths. There is no revisionist history happening in the truth that I know we told. 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 was still living in them.”

“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. A livelihood that was taken away from my family because somebody else wanted to be number one on the call sheet. That is the truth.”

Rose McGowan then took the mic, adding: “We’ve protected you [the show’s fans] for a long time. We’ve done it for as long as we could. All of us.”

Alyssa Milano is yet to respond again – so thus concludes getting the Charmed drama explained. For now.

For more like this Charmed drama explained and all the latest film, TV and entertainment news and gossip, like Pop Culture Shrine on Facebook. 

Related stories recommended by this writer:

∙ Fake teeth, prosthetics and wigs: Inside Sofia Vergara’s transformation into Griselda Blanco

∙ The real Cocaine Godmother’s family are suing Sofia Vergara and Netflix over new show

∙ Omg, the cast of Modern Family all met up for a reunion and the pics are SO cute