Shannen Doherty extended an olive branch to longtime frenemy Alyssa Milano ahead of death at age 53

Shannen Doherty unexpectedly extended an olive branch to her longtime friend Alyssa Milano on an episode of the podcast House of Halliwell.

During a conversation with Holly Marie Combs, the late actress, who died Saturday after a long battle with breast cancer, praised Milano’s performance on their hit series Charmed.

As the women reflected on the unaired pilot episode in which she and Combs starred alongside actress Lori Rom, who was originally cast as Phoebe Halliwell (before being replaced by Milano), the former Beverly Hills, 90210 actress reflected on how Milano brought a “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 a lot like Holly and I in the sense of [being] “She’s very much rooted in drama,” she recalls.

Doherty continued: ‘The presentation was much more serious and much darker, which was my style. So I loved the presentation and I loved everyone.’

The Malibu-born actress enthused that “when Alyssa came in, it brought a lightness that” she felt “the show needed.”

“She came in and did a great job,” he stressed, despite their history of disagreements.

The sweet words may come as a surprise to some, as Doherty previously revealed she left Charmed due to behind-the-scenes tensions with Milano.

Milano denies reports that she arranged for Doherty to be fired from Charmed in 2001.

Doherty, 52, previously accused Milano of creating “a strange dichotomy” on the set of the fantasy drama series.

During an episode of Doherty’s Let’s Be Clear podcast that aired last year, Combs claimed that Milano gave him an ultimatum, which was the reason for Doherty’s departure from the show after three seasons.

She remembers a producer telling her, “We were told [by Alyssa] it’s hers or [Shannen] and Alyssa has threatened to sue us for a hostile work environment.’

After hearing her former co-stars’ comments, Milano took to Instagram to say she “didn’t have the power to get anyone fired.”

During a conversation with Holly Marie Combs, the late actress, who died Saturday after a long battle with breast cancer, praised Milano’s performance on their hit series Charmed (Milano airs in May 2024).

“I don’t know of any other show that has been as successful as Charmed, where the cast still talks badly about the experience a quarter century later,” she wrote.

“This was 15 movies and 13 TV shows ago for me,” she continued. “This was 11 years before my 15th wedding anniversary and 13 years before I had my first child. This is so long ago that any retelling of these stories by anyone is just revisionist history.”

She then noted that the evidence of what had happened was “documented.”

“I will add, however, with absolute certainty that everything was documented. There was a professional mediator,” she explained, before adding that she was told that “Holly and Shannen would not participate in any mediation.”

Milano concluded the statement by saying, “The studio, Aaron Spelling and the network made the decision to protect the international hit Charmed… after Shannen left, we had 5 more successful seasons and I am eternally grateful to her for that.”

Holly Marie Combs, Shannen Doherty, Alyssa Milano, who played sisters on their hit series Charmed, pictured above in the late 1990s

After Doherty’s death, Milano released a heartfelt statement, obtained by Entertainment weekly.

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

Shannen passed away last weekend after a nine-year battle with breast cancer.

Shannen’s publicist Leslie Sloane announced her passing in a statement Sunday: “On Saturday, July 13, she lost her battle with cancer after battling the disease for many years.”

“The devoted daughter, sister, aunt and friend was surrounded by her loved ones and her dog Bowie. The family requests their privacy at this time so they can grieve in peace.”

Doherty, who played Brenda Walsh on the hit 1990s series, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015; seen in 2016

Doherty, who played Brenda Walsh on the hit 1990s series, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015.

After the popular series, she starred in the witch drama Charmed. Doherty played Prue Halliwell, the eldest of the three witch sisters.

After directing several episodes of Charmed, Doherty left the series in 2001. She then moved on to work in reality television, appearing as a contestant on Dancing with the Stars and on the show Breaking Up with Shannen Doherty.

Just two years later, the Charmed star announced that the cancer had returned, after she went into remission.

She told Good Morning America at the time: ‘In a few days or a week, I’m going to be diagnosed with stage 4. So my cancer has come back and that’s why I’m here.’

“I don’t think I’ve processed it. It’s a bitter pill to swallow in many ways,” she said.

Doherty initially kept her diagnosis a secret, but after her co-star Luke Perry died suddenly in 2019 at the age of 52, she spoke openly about her health struggles.