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Alyssa Milano, 51, broke her silence on the headline-making claim that she had Shannen Doherty fired from Charmed. The actress spoke at a panel for the show, which didn’t include her former costars, during MegaCon Orlando on Friday, and admitted she expected the topic to be brought up during her time on the stage.
“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,” she began in a video filmed at the event. “I will just say that I’m sad. 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 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,” she continued. “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.”
Alyssa also went on to admit that her time filming the show was “hard” but she’s been focusing on healing since the series ended.
“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,” she explained. “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.”
She ended her discussion about the claim by expressing her wishes that Shannen and their other Charmed costar, Holly Marie Combs, were with her on stage because she feels she’s apologized for “whatever part [she] played in the situation.”
“This is the uncomfortable part that I wish was different. So apologies to all of you who love us anyway,” she concluded.
Alyssa’s comments come after Holly made the claim about the firing on Shannen’s Let’s Be Clear podcast in December. She said she found out about Shannen’s forced exit, which happened in the early 2000s, through Charmed‘s producer Jonathan Levin.
“He said, ‘We didn’t mean to — but we’ve been backed into this corner — we’re basically in this position where it’s one or the other,’” Holly said in the episode. “‘We were told [by Alyssa] it’s her or [Shannen] and Alyssa has threatened to sue us for a hostile workplace environment.’”
Shannen was later replaced by Rose McGowan.