Here's the Real Reason Shannen Doherty Left 'Charmed' After Season 3
"I wish that I had been older and wiser because I definitely would’ve sued," Shannen said of her firing.
Updated July 15 2024, 3:21 p.m. ET
Saying goodbye is never easy, and this was especially true when viewers were forced to say farewell to Shannen Doherty’s character on Charmed after its third season. Before her passing in 2024, Shannen starred as Prue, the eldest of the Halliwell trio.
Unfortunately, her time on the show was short-lived. The actor made her exit from the series after rumors of problems on set and was ultimately replaced by Rose McGowan. Here’s the real reason why Shannen left the cast of Charmed.
Why did Shannen Doherty leave ‘Charmed’? For years she claimed it was her decision.
While Shannen and her co-stars Holly Marie Combs and Alyssa Milano had great chemistry on screen, the same can’t be said for their relationship behind the scenes.
Rumors purported that Shannen was hard to work with during her time on set, which subsequently led to her being fired from the show. Following her exit, the actor set the record straight.
In a 2001 interview with Entertainment Tonight, Shannen explained that it was actually her decision to leave the show. Shannen also fueled speculations that she and Alyssa had off-screen beef and the shade was real.
”I want to work with actors who really, really care and that want to be there every single day," Shannen said.
"I don't want to work with people who b---h about their job and complain about it and say that they hate it or anything else,” she told the outlet, adding that “there was too much drama on the set and not enough passion for the work.”
“I’ll miss Holly a lot and that’s really the only thing I want to clear up,” she noted.
Shannen Doherty didn't walk away from 'Charmed,' she was fired.
On Dec. 18, 2023, Shannen sat down with her friend and former Charmed co-star Holly Marie Combs for part two of their conversation on her podcast, Let's Be Clear With Shannen Doherty. On the episode aptly titled "Let's Be Charmed," the duo discussed what fans of the show have been dying to know for years. What exactly happened on that set to make Shannen leave a wildly successful series after only three seasons? As it turns out, leaving wasn't Shannen's idea.
Apparently, the call was coming from inside the Haliwell house. According to Holly, Charmed producer Jonathan Levin allegedly revealed that Alyssa threatened to sue the show for creating a hostile workplace if Shannen wasn't asked to leave. "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," said Holly. Alyssa also documented all the times she felt uncomfortable on set.
Shannen shared that she has zero recollection of ever treating Alyssa poorly. In fact, it was quite the opposite. "I don’t ever remember being mean to [Alyssa] on set," Shannen recalled while mentioning a time she made concessions for Alyssa while directing an episode of the show. "I couldn’t have been more kind and understanding."
It was Shannen's representatives who told her that admitting she was fired from yet another show could be a career-killer. As a reminder, Shannen was fired from Beverly Hills 90210 after Season 4. "I remember I started laughing, going, 'Who is going to believe that I’m crazy enough to leave a hit show?'" asked Shannen on the podcast.
In retrospect, Shannen wished she had handled her firing from Charmed a bit differently. Hindsight is 20/20 after all, or maybe we just accumulate more courage as we age. "I wish that I had been older and wiser because I definitely would’ve sued, and I would’ve been honest about the situation because the rumors followed me regardless," said Shannen.
