The original Charmed series ran on the now defunct WB network for eight seasons, from 1998 until 2006. It followed the fantastical stories of the Halliwell sisters, who were all good witches living together in San Francisco. A reboot of Charmed debuted on The CW in 2018, featuring a new trio of actresses as sisters who discover their magical heritage.
Starring Shannen Doherty as Prue, Alyssa Milano as Phoebe, and Holly Marie Combs as Piper, Charmed was dealt a blow at the end of its third season, when Doherty announced that she would not be returning to her role as the oldest sister. Both Prue and Piper were both critically injured by a demon assassin called Shax in the season 3 finale, "All Hell Breaks Loose," and the season 4 premiere revealed that Piper had been saved but Prue had died.
Prue's death was a tough blow for fans of Charmed who had grown to love the original trio of sisters. Here's what we know about the messy story behind Doherty's departure from the show.
Shannen Doherty's Rise to Fame and Bad Reputation
Shannen Doherty began acting as a child and appeared in several TV shows, including the wholesome family program Little House on the Prairie and the military drama Airwolf. She then landed a significant role in the 1989 feature film Heathers, as one of the dark comedy’s titular teens. However, she truly rose to fame as one of the young stars of the Aaron Spelling-produced Beverly Hills, 90210. Spelling would also go on to produce Charmed.
On Beverly Hills, 90210, Doherty famously took an early exit, spending just four seasons as Brenda Walsh. By all accounts, Shannen Doherty was a difficult actor to work with. She was known for partying too much, often being late to set, and fueling feuds with her castmates. In Jennie Garth’s autobiography, Deep Thoughts from a Hollywood Blonde, Doherty’s Beverly Hills, 90210 costar noted, “There were times when we loved each other and there were times when we wanted to claw each other’s eyes out."
Why Shannon Doherty Left Charmed
Despite her bad-girl reputation and his direct experience working with her, Aaron Spelling hired Shannen Doherty in 1998 to play Prue Halliwell in Charmed. Prue was killed off three years later (in an episode Doherty herself had directed), and her absence was filled by Rose McGowan, who played the Halliwells' long-lost sister, Paige.
Apparently, Alyssa Milano and Shannen Doherty did not get along, though it was not always that way. Doherty served as a bridesmaid at Alyssa Milano’s wedding to musician Cinjun Tate in 1999 (though the marriage didn't last long). Either way, Doherty reportedly stopped talking to Milano (per Daily News), causing the former Who’s The Boss? star to demand that Doherty be fired from Charmed. The firing never happened because the savvy Doherty beat producers to the punch. She had learned of Milano’s ultimatum and quit Charmed on her own accord, living up to her tough as nails persona.
If you’re wondering where things stand now, it seems that Doherty, who has very publicly dealt with bouts of breast cancer, has softened and mended fences. Last year she rejoined the original cast of Beverly Hills, 90210 for the tongue-in-cheek mockumentary series BH90210. As for her relationship with Milano, the two seem to have put the bad behind them, with Milano recently posting to Instagram a note of support to Doherty, who announced in February that she was now battling stage-four breast cancer.