Shannen Doherty praised Alyssa Milano before her death despite decades-long feud

Shortly before her death, Shannen Doherty praised Alyssa Milano’s work in Charmed, despite the long-standing feud between the former co-stars.

Milano, 51, played Phoebe Halliwell on the show, but she wasn’t immediately given the role. Lori Rom filmed an unaired pilot as Phoebe alongside stars Doherty and Holly-Marie Combs, who played the other Halliwell sisters.

In an episode of The House of Halliwell podcast released on July 16, Doherty claimed that Milano brings a necessary “different touch” to the role.

“Lori and Alyssa are very, very, very different people. So Lori’s performance was different than Alyssa’s. Lori was very similar to Holly and me in terms of drama,” Doherty recalled. “The presentation was much more serious and much darker, which was exactly my style. So I loved the presentation and thought everyone was great.”

“When Alyssa came in, it provided a lightness that I thought the show ultimately needed,” she added. “She came in and did a great job. And yeah, she just brought a little bit of a different flavor to the show.”

This podcast episode was recorded before Doherty’s death. Co-hosts Combs, Brian Krause and Drew Fuller announced that they will release the first five episodes in honor of the actress.

Doherty’s positive words about Milano may come as a surprise, given the known issues between the two.

Combs, 50, claimed on an episode of Doherty’s podcast “Let’s Be Clear” in January that Milano arranged for the late actress to be fired at the end of season three.

“We were told (by Alyssa) that it was either her or (Shannen), and Alyssa threatened to sue us for a hostile work environment,” Combs recalled producer Jonathan Levin telling her about Doherty’s firing.

Milano released a statement on Instagram at the time claiming she never had the power to fire anyone.

“Everything was documented,” Milano claimed of her time on the set of “Charmed.” “There was a professional mediator (I was told Holly and Shannen would not participate in any mediation) and a producer/babysitter on set, both of whom were brought in to investigate all claims.”

“I did not have the power to get anyone fired. After Shannen left, we had five more successful seasons and I am forever grateful,” she added in her statement. In addition, Doherty claimed that Milano and her mother Lin prevented her from visiting Combs in the hospital after she had a tumor removed from her uterus. Milano’s mother denied the allegations.

The “Beverly Hills, 90210” star became emotional as he addressed the topic during a panel at MegaCon Orlando in February.

“What I’m saying is that what someone else would call ‘drama’ is, for me, a real trauma that I’ve been living through for a very long time,” Doherty said at the time. “And it wasn’t until my battle with cancer that I decided to address that trauma and talk about it openly and honestly so that I can actually heal from having my livelihood taken away from me, having my family’s livelihood taken away from me because someone else wanted to be No. 1 on the list. That’s the truth.”

Milano addressed the allegations during a separate “Charmed” MegaCon panel.

“I’m saddest that a show that meant so much to so many people was marred by a toxicity that continues to this day, nearly a quarter century later,” she said at the time. “I’m sad that people can’t get over it. I’m sad that we can’t all celebrate the success of a show that meant so much to all of us.”

The “Who’s the Boss?” actress also revealed that she wished she could be on stage with Doherty and Combs at the Orlando event, especially because she felt like she had “apologized for her role in the situation, whatever it was.”

Doherty again responded to Milano’s claims at MegaCon, saying, “At this point in my life, with my health diagnosis, with the battle against a terrible disease that I fight every day, it is also incredibly important to me that the truth is actually told and not the story that others tell me.”

“There are no revisions to the truth that I know we have told. There is no throwing of bushes or shoes. There are no delays in determining the outcome. There is no mediator for months,” she added.

Doherty’s death on Saturday came after a nearly decade-long battle with cancer. The actress was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015, and after a period of remission, the disease returned in 2019.

In 2023, Doherty announced that the disease had spread to her bones and eventually her brain.

Her publicist Leslie Sloane confirmed the In a statement to People on Sunday, she announced the actress’ death at the age of 53.

“It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the passing of actress Shannen Doherty. On Saturday, July 13, she lost her battle with cancer after battling the disease for many years,” she said. “The devoted daughter, sister, aunt and friend was surrounded by her loved ones and her dog, Bowie. The family requests privacy at this time so they can grieve in peace.”

Milano responded to the death of her former co-star in a statement to The Post on Sunday.

“It’s no secret that Shannen and I had a complicated relationship, but at her core she was someone I deeply respected and was in awe of,” she said. “She was a talented actress, loved by many, and the world is less without her. My condolences to all who loved her.”