Shannen Doherty is famous for starring in two beloved TV shows, and she didn't get along with the cast on either one. Doherty and Jennie Garth's Beverly Hills 90210 fight is infamous. And Doherty is said to have argued with her Charmed co-star Alyssa Milano. Rewatching the 2000s series about the Halliwell sisters, who happen to be witches, is enjoyable. But stories of life on the Charmed set aren't quite so pretty. Rose McGowan's time on Charmed wasn't awesome, and Milano has spoken about conflict.
After playing Prue Halliwell for three seasons, Doherty's character died in the season 3 finale. But before this happened, did Shannen Doherty and Holly Marie Combs maintain a friendship while filming Charmed? Or were things between the co-stars super dramatic?
Shannen Doherty And Holly Marie Combs Got Along While Filming Charmed
Charmed premiered in 1998 and aired for eight seasons on The WB. And even though the series finale of Charmed aired in 2006, fans still have a lot of love for the story of the Halliwells. While a reboot aired for four seasons beginning in 2018, most would likely argue that the original series had more of a cultural impact.
The Charmed cast has a better relationship today than they had in the past. In 2021, Alyssa Milano talked to Entertainment Tonight about arguing with Shannen Doherty on the set of Charmed. She said that their relationship had improved in the years since.
Milano said, "I would say we are cordial. You know, I could take responsibility for a lot of our tension that we had. I think a lot of our struggle came from feeling that I was in competition rather than it being that sisterhood that the show was so much about. And I have some guilt about my part in that."
While Milano and Doherty didn't seem to enjoy working together, Holly Marie Combs told a different story about her bond with Doherty behind the scenes of Charmed.
Holly Marie Combs has a podcast about Charmed called The House of Halliwell where she rewatches and discusses episodes with Brian Krause and Drew Fuller, who played Leo Wyatt and Chris Halliwell. The actress shared a memory that is both sad and sweet.
Combs talked about having a tumor located in her uterus during Charmed. She said that Milano and Doherty were both incredibly supportive and kind. It sounds like Combs really appreciates that her fellow cast members were there for her during this awful time. And while it must have been scary to go through this, she knew that her co-stars didn't want her to be alone.
According to People, Combs explained on her podcast that she hadn't talked about this before. She said, "I'm very protective of the show and my part in it, but I'm also very protective of the moments that we had like this. No one has any idea how much both Shannen and Alyssa did for me during this time. That's the s–-t that really bugs me. No one has any idea how much we went through behind the scenes, and how much we did together, and how close we were."
Combs also said "The girls really pulled together during this time for me" and mentioned that Doherty made sure to spend time in her hospital room."
It sounds like things were rough between Milano and Doherty. But there doesn't seem to have been any fighting between Doherty and Combs. And in the years since Charmed went off the air, the two actresses still seem to get along well.
According to Us Weekly, the actresses didn't love when Alyssa Milano said that Charmed was similar to high school when she appeared on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen in 2013.
Us Weekly reported that when they talked about Milano during a radio interview, Combs said, "She didn't go to high school! What are we talking about here? Her mother was at my wedding? Like, why? We were all friends and at times we weren’t,”
Milano also mentioned during her time on Watch What Happens Live that Combs and Doherty knew each other before Charmed. She said that they were friends for a decade prior. This history could be one reason why they got along on the set of Charmed.
Are Charmed Stars Shannen Doherty And Holly Marie Combs Close Today?
The Charmed cast was at 90s Con in March 2023 and everything seemed peaceful. According to Today.com, Shannen Doherty, Rose McGowan and Holly Marie Combs embraced and Doherty said “I mean, is this not like a power of three or what?”
According to The Daily Mail, Alyssa Milano didn't attend 90s Con. But she did post about it on Instagram, writing, "This makes me happy for the OG Charmed fans. What a gift! #90sconvention."
In the years since they starred on Charmed, it seems that Holly Marie Combs and Shannen Doherty have continued to get along. In 2015, they worked together again on a reality series called Off the Map With Shannen & Holly.
In an interview with Fox411, Doherty explained how the show started. She said," It was the easiest, fastest way to go off on an adventure. It was my idea originally. I want to do something fun and I want to do it with Holly. I want Anthony Bourdain’s job. So, I called her and said, 'Hey, let’s go do a travel show.' She said, 'Well, did you sell it yet?' I said, 'Well, I will.' So, she said just let me know when you sell it."
Since Doherty had the idea for Off The Map and Combs agreed right away, it seems that they have maintained their closeness for years.
And Holly Marie Combs has been supportive of Shannen Doherty as she battles cancer. According to Popculture.com, fans of Charmed said that Combs hadn't said anything publicly about Doherty's illness. Combs had a reply that was definitely logical.
Popculture.com reported that in February 2020, Combs tweeted, “Let’s get one thing straight. I don’t use social media to send messages to people I’ve known for 30 years. You can. But I don’t.”
It definitely sounds like Holly Marie Combs and Shannen Doherty have a real friendship that has lasted for several decades.
