Alyssa Milano has responded to reports that she was responsible for Shannon Doherty’s exit from fantasy drama hit show Charmed back in 2001.
Milano this week told an audience of fans during a panel in Orlando: “I knew this was going to come up in one way or another, and I want to be very thoughtful in how I respond to any of this, and I will just say that I’m sad.”
While not denying the claims, she added: “I don’t think it’s really that I’m sad for me or my life or how it does or does not affect my life.”
She continued: “I’m the most sad for the fans. I am the most sad that a show that has meant so much to so many people has been tarnished by a toxicity that is still to this day almost a quarter of a century later still happening.”
“I’m sad that people can’t move past it. I’m sad that we all can’t just celebrate the success of a show that meant so much to all of us.
“I have worked super hard in my life in the last 25 years to heal all of my trauma, and that’s not just all the trauma that I experienced while shooting but all of my trauma.
“I’ve worked really hard to heal the bits because I understand that hurt people hurt people and my intention is to be a healed person that helps heal people.”
Her words come after her former co-stars Holly Marie Combs and Doherty discussed the show during the latter’s podcast Let’s Be Clear.
Combs said that a producer had told her at the time of Doherty’s exit after three seasons: “‘We were told [by Alyssa] it’s her or [Shannen] and Alyssa has threatened to sue us for a hostile workplace environment.”
Charmed ran for eight seasons from 1998, a fantasy drama series created by Constance M Burge and produced by Aaron Speeling and his production company Spelling Television. Despite its great success, it was beleaguered by constant chat of feuds behind the scenes and the departure of Doherty, its biggest star, after three seasons. The series was rebooted in 2018 on the CW network, starring Madeleine Mantock, Melonie Diaz and Sarah Jeffery.
