Posted in: CW, streaming, TV, YouTube | Tagged: Alyssa Milano, charmed, podcast, Shannen Doherty

Charmed: Shannen Doherty Discusses Decision Not to Return For Finale

On her Let's Be Clear podcast, Charmed star Shannen Doherty explains why she needed to pass on returning for the series finale.

Over the past few months, we've been covering how ugly things have gotten between Charmed stars Alyssa Milano, Shannen Doherty, and Holly Marie Combs – with the most recent round beginning during the December 2023 episode of Doherty's Let's Be Clear podcast – where Doherty & Combs claimed that Milano was directly involved in having Doherty fired from the series – including an alleged ultimatum made by Milano to the show's producers (more on that below). Now, Doherty is back on her podcast and opening up about the Charmed series finale – 2006's "Forever Charmed" (directed by James L. Conway and written by Brad Kern) – and if she ever considered returning for it or if she regrets her call not to return. "I regret it in one sense. I regret it for the fans. But I don't regret it for me because I was so incredibly wrecked from getting fired that, I think, even years, years, years later, had I walked on that set, it just would've stirred everything back up for me," Doherty shared, explaining why she needed to turn down the offer. "And it would've crushed me all over again."

Here's a look at the latest episode of Doherty's podcast – followed by a look back at the past several months to offer a timeline of events between the Charmed stars:

During the episode of Doherty's podcast from December 2023, Combs claimed that Milano forced the Charmed producers into a corner where they had to choose either Doherty or Milano – and if they chose Doherty, then the producers could expect a lawsuit alleging a hostile work environment. With rumblings surrounding Doherty's departure from FOX Beverly Hill 90210 still pretty fresh, the actress' team spun the story that it was Doherty's decision to leave after three seasons. "One can't keep telling the same story over and over and over again when it's not the truth," Doherty shared. "My representatives, I remember them looking at me at the time and said, 'No, no, no, your career won't survive another firing, so we're just going to say that you chose to leave.' I remember I started laughing, going, 'Who is going to believe that I'm crazy enough to leave a hit show?'"

Combs revealed that show producer Jonathan Levin had allegedly told her that Milano had approached him with the ultimatum. "He said, you know, 'We're basically in a position where it's one or the other. We were told [by Alyssa] that it's [Shannen] or me, and Alyssa has threatened to sue us for a hostile workplace environment,'" Combs shared, including how Milano had begun to document the moments on the set when she felt uncomfortable. "I don't ever remember being mean to [Milano] on set. I couldn't have been more kind and understanding," Doherty countered. "I wish that I had been older and wiser because I definitely would've sued, and I would've been honest about the situation because the rumors followed me regardless."

Along with screencaps of her comments from a pop culture convention, Milano included a lengthy caption addressing her disappointment in how a show that's still so popular for so long has a cast that "still speaks ill of the experience a quarter of a century later" two months later. But before wishing "Holly, Shannen, and Rose peace and light in their personal and professional journeys," Milano offered her perspective on what went down regarding Doherty and how she "did not have the power to get anyone fired."

"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," Milano revealed. "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."

That same month, Doherty responded to Milano by doubling down. "A lot of things have been said, and a lot of them are very hurtful," Doherty shared during a panel presentation at Orlando, Florida's MegaCon (joined by Combs and Rose McGowan). With regard to the podcast, Doherty claimed that she and Combs had "edited out" some of what was originally said during the episodes so that they wouldn't "cause more drama" that would distract from getting across what they say in "the truth."

"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…," Doherty shared before pausing in an attempt to keep from crying. "Sorry if I start crying. With fighting this horrific disease every day of my life [Doherty has Stage-4 cancer], 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," she added.

After denying a number of the claims made by Milano in her most recent response, Doherty added, "I recall the facts as if I were still living in them, and what I will say is that what somebody else may call drama is an actual trauma for me that I have lived with for an extremely long time." The actress continued. "And 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 someone else wanted to be number one on the call sheet. That is the truth."

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