Holly Marie Combs Claims Alyssa Milano Gave Ultimatum to Get Shannen Doherty Fired from Charmed

The Halliwell sisters and their “Energy of Three” have been on the coronary heart of the supernatural collection, so it was genuinely stunning when Doherty left the present after simply three seasons.

The present pivoted by introducing Rose McGowan as a long-lost half-sister, who would stick with the present for its remaining 5 seasons, however followers have been nonetheless scratching their heads — certainly this wasn’t the plan all alongside?

On the time, Doherty introduced that she had “give up” the present, resulting in some backlash in opposition to her. She was depicted as somebody who was tough to work with, as a result of her additionally leaving her earlier long-running present, Beverly HIlls 90210, after simply 4 seasons.

Now, Combs is claiming that Doherty did not give up as a result of a feud with Milano, as was reported on the time. Quite, she claims Doherty was fired as a result of Milano gave producers an ultimatum … her or me.

Talking with Doherty on her Let’s Be Clear podcast, Combs stated she went straight to the supply, present producers Jonathan Levin, within the early 2000s to search out out the true story behind Doherty’s departure.

“He stated, ‘We did not imply to, however we have been backed into this nook. We’re mainly on this place the place it is one or the opposite,'” stated Combs. “‘We have been advised [by Milano] it is her or [Doherty] and Alyssa has threatened to sue us for a hostile office setting.'”

Combs additional claimed that Milano had been documenting “each time she felt uncomfortable on set,” as if she was constructing a case in opposition to Combs and Doherty. She additional stated that whereas there might need been some friction between the women, she’d by no means witnessed something vital, so it got here as an enormous shock.

In actual fact, she stated no crew or visitor stars or anybody actually observed, as far as she is aware of. “It was all behind the scenes,” she stated. “There’s not a director that would not work with you once more. There’s not a crew member that didn’t have a good time working with you. So by in the present day’s requirements, it would not f–king fly.”

Doherty stated that she spent that first yr after her firing “kind of replaying all the pieces in my mind and actually looking for these moments … and I could not discover them. I do not ever bear in mind being imply to her on set.”

She additionally stated she needs she’d had a little bit extra years and expertise underneath her belt on the time as a result of she would have rejected her authorized recommendation and sued and been sincere. In any case, her settlement to say she “give up” did not cease rumors from following her for years afterward.

Based on the podcast, Doherty was suggested in opposition to suing for concern it might price her work. The settlement reached was that she might say she had give up the present with out having to confess she wasn’t getting paid out, per her contract, and that she’d been given the boot.

Just a few months after she departed the present, Doherty advised ET, per Us Weekly, “There was an excessive amount of drama and never sufficient ardour for the work.” She stated she was too outdated for the drama, including, “I will miss Holly lots and that is actually the one factor I wish to clear up.” She didn’t point out Milano.

As for forgiveness, Doherty stated it is extra about accepting what occurred. “As you become old, you settle for {that a} scenario occurred. Acceptance and shifting on along with your life doesn’t equate to forgiveness,” she defined. “You simply be taught a lesson and take a look at someone in another way and transfer on.”

Again in 2013, Milano addressed Doherty’s departure from the present on Watch What Occurs Reside, telling Andy Cohen, “I do not know if she acquired fired; we by no means actually came upon what occurred,” whereas acknowledging there have been “positively some tough days” on set.

In 2021, she advised ET that she takes “accountability for lots” of what occurred between her and Doherty, saying a lot of it was as a result of her “feeling that I used to be in a contest fairly than it being that sisterhood that the present was a lot about. And I’ve some guilt about my half in that.”

Within the earlier episode of Doherty’s podcast, she stated she’d heard about Milano speaking about that surprising “competitiveness” between them in her ebook, however she had no intention of studying it, “as a result of it is [titled] ‘Sorry Not Sorry,’ it tells me you are not friggin’ sorry. Why even point out one thing in that case?”

She additionally claimed that Milano and her mom had stored her from seeing Combs within the hospital shortly after a surgical procedure; Milano’s mom publicly denied that declare, per TMZ, questioning how that will have even been doable.

When it got here down that Doherty was leaving the present, Combs stated she wished to stroll away together with her longtime good friend. “She did not wish to do it with out me,” Combs recalled saying on the time. “Due to this fact, I do not wish to do it with out her and that must be pretty clear.”

Sadly, per Combs, Levin threatened to sue her if she give up the present, which she stated felt like “blackmail” on the time, and so she stayed as McGowan got here on the present. Combs would stay with the present alongside Milano and McGowan till its conclusion after eight seasons.