Shannen Doherty Speaks About Drama With Charmed Co-Star Alyssa Milano On Set
In an insightful episode of her podcast, Let’s Be Clear with Shannen Doherty, actress Shannen Doherty, known for her role in the popular show Charmed, opened up about her experiences during the show’s early years.
The podcast had Shannen discussing the challenges she faced and shedding light on the competitive atmosphere and the impact it had on her friendship with co-star Alyssa Milano.
Shannen, now 52, didn’t shy away from discussing the “competitiveness” that characterized her working relationship with Alyssa, 50. She described it as a “lack of female support” that cast a shadow over their camaraderie, affecting their relationship with fellow co-star Holly Marie Combs.
During the first season of Charmed, Marie faced a significant health issue—an uterine tumor “the size of a baseball” that necessitated surgery and halted the series’ filming for two weeks. Shannen’s attempt to visit Marie in the hospital was met with obstacles, as she recalled, “I waited 24 hours after your surgery to go, and then it wasn’t even easy for me to get in. I was like, being told I couldn’t even get in by Alyssa and her mom.”
The tension continued when Marie reached out to Shannen, expressing her hope that she would visit. Shannen admitted, “But I also felt like my anger at the situation of not being allowed to come see you, and like how sort of family had like 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.”
Ultimately, Shannen left Charmed after three seasons, citing the presence of “drama” on set as one of her reasons for departure. She explained then, saying, “There was too much drama on the set and not enough passion for the work.”
Alyssa, in response to Shannen’s exit, acknowledged their differences, saying, “I think it’s hard when you put two very different people together. I’m very laid-back and passive. I have my Buddha. I come in here and meditate. [Shannen’s] got a lot of energy, she’s very headstrong, she wants to get the job done.”
While rumors of tension on set persisted, Shannen addressed the complex dynamics, saying, “Were there times that were rough? Yeah, when you work that closely together there’s always going to be times that are rough.”
In 2021, Alyssa mentioned that she and Shannen had reached a cordial relationship, occasionally exchanging DMs. However, Shannen, during her recent podcast episode, hinted that reconciliation might not be on the horizon, referring to Alyssa’s 2021 book of personal essays titled Sorry Not Sorry.
“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,” she said.
