The Big Picture

• Alyssa Milano reflects on the behind-the-scenes drama of Charmed, expressing sadness for the fans and the legacy of the show.
• Milano addressed the awkwardness between herself, Shannen Doherty, and Rose McGowan.
• Milano takes accountability for her part in the feud and expresses her desire for reconciliation, but acknowledges the difficulty of moving past the toxicity.

Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Vin Diesel, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall, George Takei and William Shatner, the list goes on and on. In today’s edition of ‘Stars - They’re Just Like Us!’ we’re touching on one of the most famous rivalries in all of Hollywood - that of the cast of the classic long-running WB series, Charmed. While the show was all about the “power of three” that united the Halliwell sisters together, the behind-the-scenes drama is something of legend with a sort of Venn diagram between its leading stars, Alyssa Milano, Shannen Doherty, and Rose McGowan (Holly Marie Combs was also there, but this trio was behind the main feud). Without getting too into the nitty-gritty, Milano could be considered to be the center circle of the Venn diagram, having beef with both Doherty and McGowan, both of whom never appeared alongside one another in the series.

During a panel at MegaCon in Orlando, hosted by Collider’s Arezou Amin, Milano opened up about her past, present, and future with Doherty and McGowan. Jumping right into it, Milano said that she was more than happy to “just address the elephant in the room.” After the fan who posed the question apologized, Milano reassured them by saying,

“No, it’s okay because I - clearly, you know, you’re all Charmed fans, so I knew that this was going to come up in one way or another and I wanna be very thoughtful in how I respond to any of this. And I think we all know I’m talking about Shannen [Doherty’s] podcast and Holly [Marie Combs] and Shannen doing it together, the things that Rose [McGowan] has said in the past. So I’m just gonna address it because, I feel like if you can live with a certain amount of honesty and integrity, then you all deserve that. But I wanna be thoughtful because I don’t wanna add on to anyone else’s pain because I don’t think that’s cool either.”

Alyssa Milano Regrets How Everything Panned Out

Looking back on her experience in the role of Phoebe Halliwell and the good, the bad, and the ugly of what was going on in between takes, Milano continued,

“I will just say that I’m sad. And I don’t think it’s really that I’m sad for me or for my life or how it does or does not affect my life. I’m the most sad for the fans. I’m 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. And I’m sad that people can’t move past it. And I’m sad that we all can’t just celebrate the success of a show that meant so much to all of us.

And I think when I think back to that time, it was hard for me, it was hard for me. And I have worked super hard in my life, in the last 25 years, to heal all of my trauma. And that’s not just, you know, the trauma that I had experienced while shooting, but all of my trauma and I’ve worked really hard to heal bits because I understand that hurt people, hurt people. And my intention is to be a healed person that helps heal people. So, that’s kind of how I feel.”

Does Alyssa Milano See A Reconciliation Down The Line?

Now that Charmed has been off the air for nearly two decades, could it ever be possible for the full cast to get together at some sort of convention and give fans the reunion of a lifetime? Despite the odds being against it, Milano remains hopeful, saying,

“Do I wish that we could all sit on a stage? Yeah, because again, this was like almost a quarter of a century ago. How is it possible to continue to hold on to that? And I’ve, you know, I think been very upfront and taken accountability for and apologized for, whatever part I played in the situation. And I’ve been very forthcoming about that. And so I don’t know how else to fix it. I even don’t know if I could put myself out there any more than I already have to try to fix it. But yeah, it’s heartbreaking.”

A Semi-Happy Ending

Giving reassurance in only the way a dedicated Charmed lover could, after Milano bared her heart and soul, the fan who asked the initial question, comforted the actress, telling her that whatever happened between the women “does not ruin the show.” With relief washing over her, Milano responded,

“Good. I’m glad. I don’t want it to ruin the show. I want that show to mean everything to you that it possibly can because that’s the only way it really justifies the hurt. So your love heals the experience. So, thank you.”

All eight seasons of Charmed are now streaming on Peacock.

Watch On Peacock