Shannen Doherty has explained her controversial Charmed exit, revealing in a podcast interview with former co-star Holly Marie Combs that she was fired as the result of an ultimatum by Alyssa Milano.
What did Doherty and Combs say about Charmed?
On an episode of her new podcast Let’s Be Clear, Doherty invited Combs to talk in-depth about the circumstances that led to Doherty’s high-profile exit from the supernatural drama. Doherty played Prue Halliwell, one of the titular Charmed ones, until her character was killed off in the season 3 finale.
“One can’t keep telling the same story over and over and over again, when it’s not the truth,” Doherty said, via Variety, when explaining why she was choosing to clear the record. “My representatives, I remember them looking at me at the time and said, ’No, no, no, your career won’t survive another firing, so we’re just going to say that you chose to leave. I remember I started laughing, going, ‘Who is going to believe that I’m crazy enough to leave a hit show?’”
“He said, you know, ‘We’re basically in a position where it’s one or the other. We were told [by Alyssa] that it’s [Shannen] or me, and Alyssa has threatened to sue us for a hostile workplace environment,’” Combs shared. The actor, who portrayed Piper Halliwell, added that Milano built a case for herself by relying on a mediator to document instances in which she felt uncomfortable.
“I lived a year after that sort of replaying everything in my brain and really trying to find those moments. I don’t ever remember being mean to her on set,” Doherty recalled, elaborating on the fact that she did not choose to leave. “I remember an episode I directed where she did something on the Christmas break and they asked me to work around some things with her and I had no problem with it. I couldn’t have been more kind and understanding.”
As for how she feels about the situation now, Doherty said: “As you get older, you accept that a situation happened. Acceptance and moving on with your life does not equate to forgiveness. You just learn a lesson and look at somebody differently and move on.”
Prue never made another appearance on Charmed after being killed off. Doherty was invited to return for the series finale, but notes in the podcast that she declined because she wanted distance from the situation.
