Shannen Doherty Opens Up About Strained Relationship with Alyssa Milano During 'Charmed' Days

Shannen Doherty reflects on her time filming Charmed, delving into the challenges and competitive dynamics she faced with co-star Alyssa Milano on the latest episode of her podcast, Let’s Be Clear With Shannen Doherty.

 

The 52-year-old actress sheds light on the "lack of female support" and its impact on her friendship with Holly Marie Combs, who joined her as a guest on the podcast. During the show’s inaugural season, Combs underwent surgery, causing a filming hiatus. Doherty, attempting to visit Combs in the hospital, recounts facing resistance from Milano and her mother, Lin Milano.

 

"I waited 24 hours after your surgery to go, and then it wasn’t even easy for me to get in. I was being told I couldn’t even get in by Alyssa and her mom," expressed Doherty on the podcast.

 

This incident marked the genesis of a strained relationship that persisted throughout the second season, leading Doherty to experience tearful nights on set.

 

"I remembered you texted me and were like, ‘Dude, are you going to come and see me [at the hospital]?’ And I can feel your pain of feeling like I’d abandoned you," Doherty told Combs, 50. "But I also felt like my anger at the situation of not being allowed to come see you, and how sort of family had swooped in and caused like this sort of weird divide between the two of us that then continued throughout season 2 where I think I cried every single night of season 2."

 

Departing Charmed after three seasons, Doherty, replaced by Rose McGowan, cited in a 2001 interview with ET, "There was too much drama on the set and not enough passion for the work."

 

While Milano previously hinted at a cordial relationship, Doherty, on her podcast episode, suggests reconciliation might not be imminent.

 

Referring to Milano’s 2021 book, Sorry Not Sorry, Doherty remarked, "I heard that she addressed it [the competitiveness] in her book. Obviously, I’m never reading her book because it’s Sorry, Not Sorry. So right there, you know, it tells me you’re not freaking sorry."

 

However, Milano, during the promotion of her memoir, acknowledged their past tensions, stating, "I would say we are cordial. 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."

 

She added, "I have respect for [Shannen]. Great actress, loves her family so much, and I just wish I could’ve felt strong enough in who I was to recognize that back then."