Shannen Doherty played Prue Halliwell in the hit series Charmaired between 1998 and 2006. She appeared in the first three seasons of the series as the powerful older sister of the trio, the Charmed Ones.

In Charm In season 3, Prue’s character is killed off and rumors have speculated that Doherty has left the show. But In 2023, Doherty clarified that she was fired from the series due to drama between her and co-star Alyssa Milano.The drama resurfaced through interviews and Instagram posts to reveal the real reason Prue left the hit TV series in 2001.

Prue Halliwell sacrificed herself for her sisters in Charmed season 3

During his time on the show, Doherty’s character was well-liked, although some fans had mixed emotions due to how strict his character was early on in the show. However, with the responsibility of being the eldest daughter and having to take care of her sisters while being thrust into a supernatural world with demons trying to kill them, she had every right to be. While Piper was laid back and Phoebe had the privilege of being fun and carefree, Prue had to keep the lights on, her career on track, and figure out what it was like to be a witch with no one to turn to for help.

The only comfort she had was in Andy, but she couldn’t really be vulnerable with him because revealing her secret would put her life in danger. So she had to be strong and stay focused if she wanted to keep everyone alive. Despite the challenges, Prue played one of the strongest witch characters and fans loved watching her character develop her power throughout the three seasons.

Prue’s character has relaxed a little Charm Throughout seasons 2 and 3, fans got to know her better as she opened up to her sisters, especially Phoebe. Their strained relationship always put them in trouble. However, Prue let her guard down, which didn’t stop her from being skeptical of people or their new world. Most of the time, she was right, and being the most powerful of the sisters, she couldn’t risk the lives of the people she loved.

The kind of responsibility she had on her shoulders weighed heavily on her, and It was devastating that she met her end at the hands of an assassin sent by their most menacing enemy, The Source.Although she was the sister closest to death, always bold and willing to sacrifice her life, it was still surprising that she died, considering she was a main character in the fantasy. However, his character’s death on the show had more to do with behind-the-scenes drama with his co-stars than his character’s story.

Shannen Doherty Revealed the Real Reason She Left Charmed After Season 3

Before Shannen Doherty was known for her role as witch Prue Halliwell, she was famous for playing Brenda in the teen drama 90210 — a hit series that ended in 2000 after ten seasons. His departure from the series after 90210 Season 4 was reportedly cut short due to constant delays and conflicts between her and her co-stars.

So it was no surprise when rumors started circulating that she had left. Charm for similar reasons. At the time, Doherty said she left the show due to behind-the-scenes drama with her on-screen sisters, particularly Alyssa Milano, who plays Phoebe. However, the truth about his departure was far more complicated and would come to light nearly two decades after his character was written out of the series.

It didn’t help that there seemed to be some competition between Doherty and Milano, as the latter was the one the series was supposed to focus on. WB billed the series as focusing on Milano’s character Phoebe and her premonition power, as Doherty and Comb’s characters were introduced much later.

Combs and Doherty knew each other before starring in Charm and had developed a closer friendship over the years. When Combs had surgery during filming of the first season, Doherty claims Milano and her mother prevented her and others from visiting him in the hospital. Combs was unaware of this at the time, which put a strain on their nearly decade-long friendship.

In 2023, after years of battling cancer, Doherty revealed on his podcast: “Let’s be clear with Shannen Doherty. that she was actually fired from Charmed because of Milan. In an interview with her former co-star, Holly Marie Combs, who plays Piper, Doherty said:

“The narrative that I ‘quit’ was attributed to me by other people. I didn’t attribute it to myself. I think I’m at a point in my life where I don’t want to keep lying about it, and I don’t want to keep lying about something that meant a lot to me, something that I loved doing. I loved going to work. I loved the people I worked with.”

Doherty explained that her representatives believed this was the best version of events for her career, rather than saying she was forced out of the show. They said she would not fare well if she was fired again after 90210 on her acting resume. In the podcast, Combs shared that when she spoke to producer Jonathan Levin, she was told that Milano had given the show’s creators an ultimatum: choose between Milano and Doherty.

Milano threatened to sue the show for creating a hostile work environment after consulting with the show’s therapist/mediator, who helped her compile and document a dossier about her discomfort on set. And since Doherty and Combs refused to speak to the mediator, there was already a case built against Doherty. Combs noted that the drama wasn’t something the other co-stars noticed because there was no physical fight or exchange of harsh words to justify Milano’s hostility toward Doherty.

After the drama escalated and fans demanded an answer, Milano was forced to make a statement, and she took to Instagram to share what she believed happened that led to Doherty’s departure. In an Instagram post citing an interview with Collidershe said:

“There was a professional mediator (I was told Holly and Shannen would not be involved in any mediation) and a producer/babysitter on set who were both called in to investigate all complaints. This mediator, after taking testimony from the cast and crew, then recommended changes that needed to be made if the show was to continue. The studio, Aaron Spelling and the network decided to protect the international success that was Charmed. I had no power to fire anyone. Once Shannen left, we had five more successful seasons, and I will be forever grateful to her.”

In February 2024, Doherty defended his version of events in a Charm Panel at MegaCon, saying her battle with the disease pushed her to want to be honest and open about the trauma she lived with for a long time after working on Charmed. She said:

Combs defended Doherty, saying Milano’s statement differed significantly from what she had personally conveyed to him. She wrote:

“Suffice it to say, I’m a little shocked and a little disappointed, especially by the things she
posted the next day
While simultaneously texting me to the contrary. While Milano has said she had no power to get anyone fired, Combs claims the whole situation was about power, adding, “It was all about power,” she wrote. “But let’s go from there and let me explain what she had the power to do. She had the power to stop the process at any time.”

Shannen Doherty had a huge impact on Charmed’s initial success

Although fans may never know what exactly happened on the set of Charm in Season 3 that led to Doherty being replaced by Roses McGowen, who played Paige Matthews for the last five seasons, it doesn’t take away from the impact this show has had on generations of viewers. Some people just don’t get along, especially in the workplace, let alone when they’re working on an international hit like Charm at the height of its success. Even after her death in July 2024, Doherty remains adored by fans for her portrayal of Prue Halliwell, especially after her departure, as many later realized the aura and vulnerability she brought to the show during the first three seasons.

Doherty was a great actress, and with the quality of the writing in the early seasons, her character was essential to the dynamic of the show, making it clear why the first three seasons of Charm are hailed as some of the best television work to date. Doherty helped make Charm what she is today, and many people credit her with being one of the most badass witches on television.