Holly Marie Combs Says Alyssa Milano Got Shannen Doherty Fired From ‘Charmed’

By Emma Chance | Celebrity | December 19, 2023 |

By Emma Chance | Celebrity | December 19, 2023 |

Actress Holly Marie Combs recently appeared on Shannen Doherty’s new podcast, Let’s Be Clear With Shannen Doherty, and made the claim that Alyssa Milano was the reason Doherty was fired from Charmed.

“One of the biggest myths out there is that I quit,” Doherty said after explaining that going through cancer has made her realize she doesn’t need to “lie” anymore.

Combs said she was called into a meeting with producer Jonathan Levin where she learned that Milano had filed a hostile workplace environment claim against Doherty, and she was made to choose between the two.

“The competitiveness was kicking in,” Doherty said of her relationship with Milano. “There was a lack of female support.” She claimed that Milano tried to “pull” Combs away from her and that Milano “blocked” her from visiting Combs in the hospital after a surgery. They described Milano’s family as “swooping in” and essentially “adopting” Combs, who was estranged from her own family.

“This is not a show I wanted to do without Shannen,” she told Levin. He said they were in a position of “It’s one or the other,” and that Alyssa was threatening to sue the show.

“There were no on-set brawls, there were no even harsh words exchanged, it was all behind the scenes,” Combs said of the relationship between Milano and Doherty. “By today’s standards, it would not fucking fly,” she added, alleging that the legality of the issues between them wouldn’t rise to the level of a hostile workplace suit today.

“I think back then the male mentality was to pit the women against each other anyway to keep them controlled,” Doherty said.

“They didn’t want us working together, they wanted to keep us segregated and separated and not negotiating together,” Combs agreed. “I ended up doing the most work for the least pay.” She said she wanted to leave, but Levin said the show would sue her and dock her wages if she did.

“It felt like blackmail,” she concluded.

But Doherty’s people told her her career wouldn’t “survive another firing,” so advised her to say she “chose to leave.”

“I wish I had been older and wiser,” Doherty said. “Because I definitely would have sued.” She concluded that she’s reached a place of acceptance but certainly not forgiveness.