Charmed’s Holly Marie Combs Confirms Alyssa Milano Got Shannen Doherty Fired

It seems Alyssa Milano wasn't so charmed by her costar.

The Charmed actress allegedly made an ultimatum to get Shannen Doherty booted from the WB show over their rift, according to fellow costar Holly Marie Combs.

Combs recalled having a meeting with a producer in the early 2000s to learn why Doherty was no longer going to appear as Prue Halliwell. 

"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,'" she said on the Dec. 18 episode of Doherty's Let's Be Clear podcast. "‘We were told [by Alyssa] it's her or [Shannen] and Alyssa has threatened to sue us for a hostile workplace environment.'"

Combs—who starred as Piper from 1998 to 2006—said she was surprised by the drama, since she didn't remember any "harsh words" or "brawls" happening between the actresses in front of the crew, noting that the tension was mostly behind the scenes.

Doherty, too, couldn't recall any examples of bad behavior on set. 

"I lived a year after that sort of replaying everything in my brain and really trying to find those moments," she shared. "I don't ever remember being mean to her on set."

The Beverly Hills, 90210 alum—who gave an update on her years-long cancer battle last month—thought she had been nothing but professional to Milano while directing three episodes of Charmed before her 2001 exit.

"I remember an episode I directed where she did something on the Christmas break," she recalled, "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."

Thus, Doherty explained that she hasn't gotten over the mistreatment she said she faced. 

"As you get older, you accept that a situation happened. Acceptance and moving on with your life does not equate to forgiveness," she added. "You just learn a lesson and look at somebody differently and move on."

At the time of her departure, Doherty alluded to their rift as the reason for her exit. "There was too much drama on the set and not enough passion for the work," she told Entertainment Tonight in 2001. "I'm 30 years old and I don't have time for drama in my life anymore."

As for Milano, she acknowledged that she and Doherty had difference approaches on Charmed.

"I think it's hard when you put two very different people together," she told Entertainment Weekly after Doherty left the show. "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." 

But despite their "rough" moments, she told Andy Cohen in 2013 that she didn't know what led to the Heathers star's departure. "I don't know if she got fired," Milano said. "We never really found out what happened."

Doherty shed more light on their dynamic recently, explaining on the Dec. 11 episode of her podcast that she felt "competitiveness" with Milano and accused the Who's the Boss? star of creating a "weird divide" between Doherty and Combs. 

E! News has reached out to reps for Milano and Doherty for comment but hasn't heard back. 

Keep reading for a look at more celebrity feuds.

In September 2023, while playing a game called Stir the Pot with her daughter Kelly Osbourne on E! News, Sharon said the That '70s Show alum was the rudest celebrity she had ever met, branding him, a "rude, rude, rude, rude little boy" and a "Dastardly little thing."

He did not respond to her remarks publicly.

Five years prior, Sharon told Larry King that when Ashton appeared on The Talk in 2014, he had an "attitude" after she got his name wrong.

"He goes, 'What are you, what have you done in this industry?'" she recalled. "And I was like, 'Kid, don't start with me, because I'm gonna eat you up and s--t you out.' So I was just like, 'You don't know what you're dealing with, kid.'"

In August 2022, Cassadee and Maren traded harsh words with Brittany, wife of fellow country star Jason Aldean, after she shared an Instagram Reel of herself applying makeup on Aug. 23, writing, "I'd really like to thank my parents for not changing my gender when I went through my tomboy phase. I love this girly life."

During a 2022 TikTok challenge, JoJo Siwa described Candace Cameron Bure as the "rudest" celebrity, later explaining that she felt snubbed when Bure once refused to take a picture with her on a red carpet. Shortly after the dig, however, the Full House alum apologized: "I kind of broke your 11-year-old heart. I didn't take a picture with you. Ugh! I feel crummy, I feel—JoJo, I'm so sorry."

The two made amends. But months later, Candace was asked if she expects the Great American Family network, of which she serves as chief creative officer, to feature same-sex couples as leads in holiday movies. She said no, adding, "I think that Great American Family will keep traditional marriage at the core."

JoJo, who came out as a member of the LGBTQ+ community in 2021, wrote on Instagram that the actress' comment is "rude and hurtful to a whole community of people."

Back in June 2021, Courtney Love accused Olivia Rodrigo of copying her band Hole's album cover for a promotional photo without giving credit. Olivia responded, "Love u and live through this sooooo much." Courtney then replied, "Olivia - you're welcome. My favorite florist is in Notting Hill, London! Dm me for deets! I look forward to reading your note [winking face emoji]."

During an appearance Watch What Happens Live, the Happy Days actor was asked why he didn't get along with the Forrest Gump star on the set of the 1989 flick Turner & Hooch.

"I was directing that movie for 13 days and then I was called into [producer] Jeff Katzenberg's office and he said, 'You have everything with you? Go home,'" he said.

Winkler did, however, seem to get along with Hanks' four-legged co-star. "I got along great, great with that dog," he said. "Love that dog."

He also refused to admit if he's even seen the flick. 

"You know what you did!"

Fans of The Hills will remember that iconic line, delivered by Lauren on the season three premiere. Their feud began when Heidi started dating her now-husband, Spencer Pratt and hit its peak when Lauren accused Heidi and Spencer of starting a rumor that she had made a sex tape with Jason Wahler.

The costars reignited their ongoing feud when Tyrese publicly called out Dwayne on Instagram after the Fast and Furious 9 release date was pushed back to April 2020. That same day, it was announced that a Fast and Furious spinoff starring Dwayne and Jason Statham would hit theaters in 2019. The following month, Tyrese threatened to quit Fast 9 if Dwayne was in the movie.

Tyrese then opened up about the feud, telling Van Lathan on The Red Pill podcast, "I have yet to talk to The Rock to this day, and we will have a conversation." He shared that he did have a conversation with the former wrestler's producing partner, but not the actor himself.

"I found myself being the messenger on behalf of various people associated to the franchise, but stupid me was the only one who went public about those feelings, which is my own fault," Tyrese said. "It's not professional, it's not cool."

No more bad blood here.

Taylor and Katy had been in a feud for years, even allegedly inspiring Taylor's song "Bad Blood." The drama, which reportedly started over a backup dancer and competing tours, came to an end after Perry sent Taylor a literal olive branch before her Reputation Tour kickoff.

"So I just got to my dressing room and found this actual olive branch," Taylor said in an Instagram video. "This mean so much."

Taylor captioned the video, "Thank you Katy."

Sex and the City costars Kim and SJP had dodged feud rumors for years. But they were reignited after Kim decided not to return for a third movie and made comments about her costar that raised eyebrows.

"What was your reaction to Kim Cattrall telling Piers Morgan that you were never friends just colleagues?" Andy Cohen asked SJP on a Sept. 2017 episode of Watch What Happens Live.

As she explained, "Just...heartbroken. I mean that whole week, you and I spoke about it because I was just...I don't know I found it really upsetting because that's, you know, that's not the way I recall our experience."

"So...it's sad but I'm kind of...I don't know, I always think that what ties us together is this singular experience is the thing. It was a professional experience but it became personal because it was years and years of our lives. So I'm hoping that that sort of eclipses anything that's been recently spoken," she continued. "That many years spent doing something so special that people had a connection with is such a privileged."

And though they didn't film scenes together, Kim did make a small appearance on And Just Like That.

The iconic singers have been feuding since 2004. While accepting the Classic Songwriter Award at the Q Awards that year, Elton said to attendees, "Madonna, best f--king live act? F--k off! Since when has lip-syncing been live? Sorry about that, but I think everyone who lip-syncs in public on stage, when you pay like 75 quid to see them, should be shot."

The former Grey's Anatomy star sparked a feud with the series creator in 2008 when she removed her name from the Emmy Awards consideration. The actress stated that her reason for the move was because she wasn't "given the material to warrant a nomination."

Shonda later opened up about Katherine's decision during an interview with Oprah Winfrey on Oprah's Next Chapter in 2012. "On some level it stung and on some level I was not surprised," she said. "When people show you who they are, believe them. I carry that [mantra] with me a lot. It has served me well."

It was the New York Fashion Week fight heard 'round the world when Nicki and Cardi got into a heated altercation at the Harper's Bazaar Icon party. The following month, Cardi opened up about the catalyst for the fight with Nicki.

"For a while now she's been taking a lot of shots at me," Cardi said in W magazine's Art Issue. "I spoke to her twice before, and we came to an understanding. But she kept it going."

The real spark of the fight came when Cardi saw that Nicki had allegedly liked and then unliked a tweet about Cardi's parenting skills, which Nicki has denied.

"I was going to make millions off my Bruno Mars tour, and I sacrificed that to stay with my daughter," Cardi continued. "I love my daughter. I'm a good-ass f--king mom. So for somebody that don't have a child to like that comment? So many people want to say that party wasn't the time or the place, but I'm not going to catch another artist in the grocery store or down the block."

Tension between Kanye and Taylor first started in 2009, when the "Stronger" rapper took the stage during her acceptance speech at the MTV Video Music Awards. Years later, the two would make up and even become friends, but that came to an end after the release of his song "Famous," in which he name-checks the "End Game" singer.

"I don't know her."

It's been over 15 years since Mariah and J.Lo's "feud" has been going on. It all started when the Queen of Christmas was asked to give her opinion on several singers during an interview. When asked her opinion on Jennifer, she replied, "I don't know her."