‘Charmed’ Cast Mourns Former Costar Shannen Doherty After Death at Age 53
The Charmed cast is mourning the death of Shannen Doherty, who died at the age of 53 following a cancer battle.
“A true lion heart. What a warrior,” Rose McGowan wrote via Instagram comment on Sunday, July 14. “Your daddy is holding his best girl now. Love to your mama, your dog and all who love you fiercely.”
Doherty died on Saturday, July 13, following a lengthy battle with cancer.
“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 many years of fighting the disease,” Doherty’s publicist Leslie Sloane told Us Weekly in a statement. “The devoted daughter, sister, aunt and friend was surrounded by her loved ones as well as her dog, Bowie. The family asks for their privacy at this time so they can grieve in peace.”
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The late actress was best known for her roles on Beverly Hills, 90210 and Charmed, the latter of which ran between 1998 and 2006. Charmed followed the three Halliwell sisters as they discovered that they were witches. Doherty’s Prue was the oldest of the Halliwell coven. Alyssa Milano and Holly Marie Combs played Phoebe and Piper respectively.
Doherty only appeared in the first three seasons of The WB series, leaving after rumors of on-set feuds. (McGowan joined the show in season 4 upon Doherty’s exit, playing the sisters’ half-sibling, Paige.)
In December 2023, Doherty and Combs, 50, claimed that Milano, 51, was the reason for the drama.
“There was a competitiveness with Alyssa. I heard she addressed it in her book. Obviously, I’m never reading her book because it’s [titled] Sorry Not Sorry, so right there it tells me you’re not freaking sorry. Why mention something in that case? There was also competitiveness about you,” Doherty said at the time. “Which was really interesting of [her] trying to pull you away from me and that transpired in that second season.”
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Milano denied the claims that she was responsible for Doherty’s firing at the time.
Doherty opted not to return for the 2008 series finale, a decision she mostly doesn’t regret.
“I regret it in one sense — I regret it for the fans,” she said during a May episode of her “Let’s Be Clear” podcast. “But I don’t regret it for me because I was so incredibly wrecked from getting fired that, I think, even years and years and years later, had I even walked on that set, it would have stirred everything back up for me and it would have crushed me all over again.”
At the time, Doherty also revealed what it would take for the show to be rebooted.
“So the way that it works is that as actors, unless we wrote the show, created it and produced it, we have no rights to it,” the actress explained. “I believe CBS owns the show. The only person or company that can make a reunion happen is CBS. So if you guys really want one you have to bombard their Instagram, [CBS’] Facebook, write mail. I don’t even know how to do any of that but that’s the only way. You know, do some petitions and send them in.”
Keep scrolling to read more tributes from the Charmed stars:
Alyssa Milano
“It’s no secret that Shannen and I had a complicated relationship, but at its core was someone I deeply respected and was in awe of,” Milano, 51, said in a statement to Us Weekly. “She was a talented actress, beloved by many and the world is less without her. My condolences to all who loved her.”
Rose McGowan
“Love to your mama, your dog and all who love you fiercely,” McGowan, 50, added via Instagram comment. “Love to Holly Love to your legions of fans that I know loved you right back. If there was anyone who looked squarely at death and said, ‘no thanks,’ it was you dear Shannen. My head bows to you brave one. All love forever.”
Brian Krause
“You showed me what strength is. You taught me to be fearless and live with purpose. To know your value and stick to your determinations,” he wrote via Instagram. “Forever loved! Truly heartbroken ??.”
Ted King
King played Doherty’s love interest on the supernatural hit.
“We created a special television couple for the ages. My heart goes out to your family. Rest in peace Shannen, rest in peace,” he wrote via Instagram.
Finola Hughes
“Beautiful Shannen. What a warrior. Fierce talent, passionate actor, friend, advocate. She fought,” Hughes, who played Doherty’s onscreen mom, Patty Halliwell, in the series, wrote via Instagram. “My heart goes out to her family, her beloved mama, her doggy, her friends who loved her equally fiercely as she loved them. God, I’m sorry for this loss …. Rest in peace Shannen ?? ???.”
