(From left) Alyssa Milano, Holly Marie Combs and Shannen Doherty of 'Charmed', circa 1999. Photo: TNS
Charmed alum Holly Marie Combs has weighed in on the ongoing feud between co-stars Alyssa Milano and Shannen Doherty regarding the latter’s departure from the supernatural series in 2001.
Combs shared her testimony in an Instagram post on Feb 4, days after the former trio appeared on separate panels at MegaCon Orlando.
During Milano’s Feb 2 solo appearance, she addressed comments made by Combs and Doherty on a December 2023 episode of Doherty’s podcast, Let’s Be Clear – calling the pair’s particular claim that Milano had Doherty fired from the series “revisionist history.”
“In the spirit of not being the quiet one or the middle child anymore, I feel the need to defend myself after the many continuing attacks that have ensued since Alyssa stepped out on the stage and essentially called Shannen and I liars, when she was simply asked what it was like to work with Rose (McGowan),” Combs wrote in her lengthy post.
“First off, this is not revisionist history. This is just the history she (Milano) didn’t want people to know about. And the history Shannen wasn’t ready to talk about until one month ago.”
Doherty has in recent years been battling stage four breast cancer.
On a MegaCon panel alongside Combs and McGowan – who replaced Doherty after the third season of Charmed – Doherty said her illness has moved her to speak out about her experience working on the show after previously holding her tongue for the sake of fans.
“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,” Doherty said on the panel. “There is no revisionist history happening in the truth that I know we told.”
The truth, according to Combs’ Instagram post, is that Milano could have saved Doherty’s spot on the show.
“She had the power the (sic) stop the process at any time. She had the power to not talk to the mediator/therapist brought on to protect profits,” Combs wrote. “And when the producers said ok we will let Shannen go Alyssa also had the power to say no I don’t want that. But she did not.”
When presented with “the same option,” Combs said, Doherty told them she didn’t want Milano replaced.
Two days before Combs’ Instagram post, Milano posted a transcript of the comments she made at MegaCon.
“I’ve, you know, I think been very upfront and taken accountability for and apologised for, whatever part I played in the situation,” the transcript reads. “I don’t know how else to fix it.”
In the post’s caption, Milano wrote that she “did not have the power to get anyone fired.”
“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 said.
“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.”
Mark Ruffalo and Milano’s husband David Bugliari, among others, commented in support of the actor-activist.
“I have known you for years now, you are hard working, a great mother, a gifted actor and writer, a hell of a strategist and organiser, always fighting for the betterment of people’s lives and just a very cool and pleasant person. There is no use rehashing the past. It’s gone,” Ruffalo said.
Bugliari said: “If only Mr Spelling and the studio had hired a neutral 3rd party to investigate and determine the source of the unrest and the cause of the hostile workplace??? That way independent research could be done, this team could have interviewed eye/ear witnesses in the cast and crew and made a recommendation based on their findings. Maybe they could have had an influence on how to handle the poor behavior and bullying that took place? Oh wait? That happened? Got it.”
Combs herself received a supportive comment from McGowan, who said, “This for me is way bigger than a tv show, it goes to years of continuous behind the scenes character assassination and targeted reputation smearing because of narcissistic pathological jealousy. I wish none of it had to be this way.”
Charmed fans responded with frustration at how the situation has escalated.
“Can’t believe this happens between very mature women of stature. Where has wisdom gone?,” one user wrote.
“Can we just get over it now? This is ruining the show,” another commented.
But while fans may feel the actors are to blame, both Combs and Milano have suggested that a third party holds responsibility for what happened on-set nearly a quarter of a century ago.
“I think a lot of the blame still remains with the producers who knew it was easier to keep us divided as opposed to united. 3 broken pieces were easier to control and manipulate than one united front,” Combs said in her post.
“We were always made to feel like we were in competition with one another,” Milano told ET in October 2021.“I have some guilt about my part in that.” – Los Angeles Times/Tribune News Service
