What happened between Alyssa Milano and Shannen Doherty? Feud drama explored as former co-star speaks out post latter's death

Little House on the Prairie star Shannen Doherty, 53, passed away on July 13, 2024, after a long battle with cancer. The actress started her career in the 80s and became a popular face among the public with her flawless performances on shows such as Beverly Hills, 90210, and Our House.

Various faces from the entertainment industry have expressed their grief on different platforms, and her Charmed costar, Alyssa Milano, also paid tribute to her. She opened up on her dispute with Shannen Doherty over the years, which emerged after Holly Marie Combs claimed on Shannen's podcast in December 2023 that Alyssa was why Shannen was removed from the show.

Alyssa Milano addressed her feud with Shannen Doherty during her latest interview with Entertainment Weekly. She praised Shannen for her flawless work and added:

"It's no secret that Shannen and I had a complicated relationship, but at its core was someone I deeply respected and was in awe of."

After Shannen's exit from Charmed in 2001, she was replaced by Rose McGowan, who portrayed Paige Matthews for 112 episodes. Rose took to her Instagram page, where she posted a video in Shannen's memory, recalling when she first met her in the 90s.

"This woman fought to live. Shannen knew how to be a star because she was one since childhood. Her work ethic inspiring to the end. Shannen's great love for directing, for acting, Holly, her friends, her parents, dog and her beloved fans was legendary. Our lives had been intertwined in a unique way."

Shannen Doherty, a Memphis, Tennessee native, initially made guest appearances on multiple shows such as Father Murphy and The Phoenix. However, Little House in the Prairie was the first series where she played a major role and gained recognition for her performances in films like Heathers, Mallrats, and Striking Poses.

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Shannen Doherty was featured in Charmed for three years: Dispute with Alyssa Milano and other details explained

Shannen Doherty was cast as Prue Halliwell in the fantasy drama Charmed in 1998. However, her exit from the show in 2001 led to many speculations, and she later claimed in an interview with Entertainment Tonight that there was a shortage of "passion for the work" on set.

While Alyssa Milano appeared on Watch What Happens Live in 2013, she was questioned why Shannen left the series. However, the former stated at the time:

"I don't know if she got fired, we never really found out what happened. I can tell you that we were on the air with her for three years and there were definitely some rough days."

As mentioned, Holly Marie Combs, who also portrayed an important role in the show, discussed Shannen Doherty's exit in the podcast Let's Be Clear, which aired last year. Combs disclosed that producer Jonathan Levin had once told her of what exactly happened and addressed the situation.

"He said, 'We didn't mean to, but we've been backed into this corner. We're basically in this position where it's one or the other. We were told it's her or [Doherty], and Alyssa has threatened to sue us for a hostile workplace environment.'"

In another conversation with E! Magazine in 2017, Alyssa claimed that the problems between her and Shannen Doherty had ended. She added that Shannen had also let go of everything that happened considering their lives had changed and she would always pray for Shannen Doherty so "she would feel well."

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Alyssa Milano responded to the claims of Holly Marie Combs in another interview

Around two months after the airing of the podcast, Alyssa denied what Combs said when she appeared at the fan convention MegaCon Orlando in February 2024. Alyssa also shared an Instagram post with three screenshots of her statement at the event, which was mentioned in an article by Collider.

Alyssa wrote that there was no other show that could become similarly successful as compared to Charmed.

"This was so long ago that any retelling of these stories from anyone is just revisionist history. I will add, though, with absolute certainty – everything was documented."

She stated that there were discussions with the cast and crew on what kind of changes could be done for more seasons. Alyssa also revealed that all the decisions related to the show were taken by executive producer Aaron Spelling and The WB.

Shannen Doherty later defended Alyssa's statements at MegaCon, saying that while she is dealing with her health problems, the truth must come out in front of people. Shannen continued by saying:

"And it is only through my battle with cancer that I decided to address this trauma and be open and honest about itoso 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 on the call sheet."

Notably, Charmed broke several records in terms of viewership at the time of release. It also led to a reboot of the same name, which ran for four seasons on The CW.