Shannen Doherty Accuses Alyssa Milano’s Family of Involvement in 'Charmed' Conflict with Holly Marie Combs
Shannen Doherty implicates Alyssa Milano's family in the conflicts between her and Holly Marie Combs during the filming of 'Charmed'
Shannen Doherty accused Alyssa Milano and her family of causing tension between her and Holly Marie Combs on the set of Charmed.
“There was a competitiveness with Alyssa. I heard she addressed it in her book. Obviously, I’m never reading her book because it’s [titled] Sorry Not Sorry, so right there it tells me you’re not freaking sorry. Why mention something in that case? There was also competitiveness about you,” Doherty, 52, said to guest Combs, 50, on the Monday, December 11, episode of the Beverly Hills, 90210 alum’s “Let’s Be Clear With Shannen Doherty” podcast. “Which was really interesting of [her] trying to pull you away from me and that transpired in that second season.”
During the filming of season 2 of the WB drama, Doherty revealed that it was a challenging time for her and her co-stars. In 1999, Doherty's father was frequently in and out of the hospital, while Combs was also dealing with her own health issues. "Hospitals terrified me. I waited 24 hours after your surgery to visit, but I struggled to get in. Alyssa and her mom were preventing people from seeing you at the time, which you didn't know. I remember receiving a text from you, asking if I was going to come and see you," Doherty said.
Doherty admitted that Combs' message had a significant impact on her. She empathized with her costar's pain and felt as though she had abandoned her. Doherty also expressed her frustration at not being able to visit Combs and how it created a division between them that persisted throughout season 2, leading her to cry every night.
Holly Marie Combs Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic
Combs concurred with Doherty's observations and mentioned that "there were many things happening behind the scenes."
"I think it was evident that I was raised by young parents and didn't have a large family. So, when a family came in and essentially tried to adopt me, it was very appealing," Combs elaborated. "I also wanted everyone to get along and for the show to succeed."
She went on: "There were no angels or demons. We all had our ups and downs, and we could have handled things better at times, but we were all missing the bigger picture."
Charmed aired for eight seasons, from 1998 to 2006. In 2001, Doherty left the series after three seasons amid rumors of discord with Milano. Rose McGowan then joined as the new Halliwell sister, Paige.
“I want to collaborate with actors who are truly passionate and dedicated to being there every single day,” Doherty expressed to Entertainment Tonight regarding her departure. “I don’t want to work with people who constantly gripe about their job, complain, or express their hatred for it.”
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While promoting her aforementioned book in 2021, Milano claimed she and Doherty were “cordial.”
Milano admitted to ET that she could take responsibility for much of the tension between them. She acknowledged that their struggle stemmed from a sense of competition rather than the sisterhood the show was supposed to represent, and expressed guilt about her role in it.
