Posted in: CW, streaming, TV | Tagged: Alyssa Milano, charmed, Hollie Marie Combs, Shannen Doherty

Charmed Stars Claim Alyssa Milano Involved in Shannen Doherty Firing

On the Let's Be Clear podcast, Charmed stars Shannen Doherty & Hollie Marie Combs claimed Alyssa Milano played a role in Doherty's firing.

Published Wed, 20 Dec 2023 10:43:07 -0600

by Ray Flook

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Article Summary

Shannen Doherty claims a lack of support led to early issues with Alyssa Milano on Charmed.
Doherty alleges her Charmed exit was forced by Milano's ultimatum to producers.
Holly Marie Combs supports Doherty's account of Alyssa Milano's lawsuit threat.
Doherty regrets not suing over her Charmed firing, citing career-damaging rumors.

While it's made for great coverage, we would be lying if we said that we wished there were better topics to cover when it comes to the Charmed franchise. Unfortunately, most of it has been built around issues that some original cast members had with The CW's reboot series – and then, we started learning more and more about alleged issues with the original cast. On a previous episode of the Let's Be Clear podcast, Shannen Doherty addressed where she believes the issues between her and Alyssa Milano began. "I was cast first; the show was originally sold to the WB based on me," Doherty shared. "But once those magazine covers started happening, and one person is being asked, and the other one isn't … I felt like … the competitiveness was kicking in. And I'm not saying with you [speaking to Hollie Marie Combs], I'm saying with Alyssa and myself. There was a lack of female support." In the latest episode of the podcast, Doherty & Combs take things a step further, claiming that an alleged ultimatum from Milano to producers led to Doherty being fired.

During the episode, Combs claims 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."

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