Alyssa Milano Acknowledges "Complicated" Shannen Doherty Relationship in Tribute to Charmed Costar

Alyssa Milano is letting go of the past.

Despite their yearslong feud, Milano paid tribute to her Charmed costar Shannen Doherty, who died July 13.

"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 told Entertainment Weekly in a statement. "She was a talented actress, beloved by many, and the world is less without her. My condolences to all who loved her."

Doherty's passing comes after a nearly decade-long battle with breast cancer. Though she went into remission in 2017 following a 2015 diagnosis, her cancer returned in 2020. In June 2023, the Beverly Hills, 90210 star shared the cancer had metastasized to her brain and later spread to her bones.

"On Saturday, July 13, she lost her battle with cancer after many years of fighting the disease," her publicist Leslie Sloane said in a statement to NBC News. "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.”

Throughout her health journey, Doherty continued to work and stay busy, which included hosting her podcast Let's Be Clear. In fact, it was on a December episode that her feud with Milano was reignited after Charmed costar Holly Marie Combs claimed Milano had Doherty fired from the series after season three.

However, Milano denied the accusations. "I did not have the power to get anyone fired," she wrote on Instagram in February. "Once Shannen left we had 5 more successful seasons and I am forever grateful."

Later that month, she doubled down on her stance. 

"I'm 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 said at MegaCon Orlando. "I'm sad that people can't move past it. Sad that we all can't just celebrate the success of a show that meant so much to all of us."

"I've, I think, been very upfront and taken accountability for and apologized for whatever part I played in the situation and I've been very forthcoming about that," she continued. "I even don't know if I could put myself out there any more than I already have to to try to fix it. It's heartbreaking. It's hard. This is the uncomfortable part that I wish was different. So apologies to all of you who love us anyway."

For her part, Doherty was, well, not so charmed but Milano's statements.

"At this point in my life, with my health diagnosis—sorry if I start crying—with fighting a horrific disease every day of my life, it is also incredibly important to me that the truth actually be told as opposed to the narrative that others put out there for me," she shared at MegaCon. "We told it together. We told our truths, and we are standing by our truths."

"There is no revisionist history happening in the truth that I know we told," Doherty continued. "There's no brush flinging or shoe flinging. There is no lateness to set. There is no mediator for months on end. I recall the facts as if I were still living in them. And what I will say is that what somebody else may call 'drama' is an actual trauma for me, that I have been living through it for an extremely long time."

Her cancer battle, she admitted, encouraged her to speak out about the "trauma" she faced. "So that I can actually heal from a livelihood that was taken from me, a livelihood that was taken away from my family, because someone else wanted to be No. 1 on the call sheet," she said. "That is the truth."

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"Your bravery and ability to share your Cancer journey left something 'in' people," the Oscar winner wrote on Instagram. "Rest well. God bless your loved ones."

"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," she said of her Charmed costar in a statement to Entertainment Weekly. "She was a talented actress, beloved by many, and the world is less without her. My condolences to all who loved her."

"RIP Shannen Doherty," he wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "I met her during the Full House days. She was lovely and had a beautiful smile. Today, I’ll also think about the women in my life who all succumbed to cancer - my mom, my sister, Sharon and my niece, Shannon, who all were so strong and so beautiful."

"I am absolutely heartbroken over the passing of Shannen Doherty." the Newsroom alum wrote on her Instagram Stories July 14. "When I was first diagnosed with breast cancer I remembered how she bravely let the world into her journey and reached out to her. We became instant friends- which I honestly couldn’t comprehend at times because watching her on 90210 was everything to me when I was 10."

"We bonded through a shared battle and a desire to help other women," she continued. "Looking back on the last text she sent me just a couple months ago, she asked how I was doing and if she could do anything for me… true to form, Shannen was offering her support even though she was in the final stage of fighting this horrific disease."

Olivia concluded her statement with a heartfelt message to her late friend. "Cancer is really f--king scary and Shannen faced it with such dignity, strength and grace," she expressed. "I’m sending all of my love to her mother who was her best friend, hero and champion every step of the way. Fly so high, my friend."

Alongside an article reporting Shannen's passing, the journalist wrote on Instagram, "I'm so sad to hear this news..."

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