Shannen Doherty Reveals Why She Turned Down Invite to Return For Charmed Series Finale

Despite splitting ties from the role of Prue Halliwell after the third season of Charmed (all episodes are now streaming on Peacock), actress Shannen Doherty was invited by the producers to make an appearance in the 2006 series finale.

Why Shannen Doherty Turned Down Guest Appearance in the Charmed Series Finale

She turned the offer down "because I was so incredibly wrecked from getting fired," Doherty explained on a recent episode of her podcast: Let's Be Clear. While the actress — who was ultimately replaced by Rose McGowan in the cast — does feel a twinge of regret "for the fans," the prospect of returning to the world of Charmed several years after such a disheartening career low-point was just too painful. "Had I walked on that set, I think it just would've stirred everything back up for me and it would have crushed me all over again," she concluded.

Both Doherty and fellow co-star Holly Combs (Piper Halliwell) previously claimed that it was the show's third principal cast member, Alyssa Milano (Phoebe Halliwell), who was responsible for Doherty's termination in an effort to usurp the spotlight for herself.

For More on Charmed:
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Alyssa Milano feels 'some guilt' about friction with Charmed co-star Shannen Doherty
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Milano has since refuted the accusation, calling it "revisionist history" in an Instagram post from earlier this year. "I did not have the power to get anyone fired," she continued, asserting that Doherty and Combs refused to sit down with a mediator to settle matters related to clashing personalities and egos. "Once Shannen left we had five more successful seasons and I am forever grateful."

Doherty, who is currently battling Stage IV breast cancer, fired back at Milano's statement while appearing at the Florida-based MegaCon back in February. "There is no revisionist history happening in the truth that I know we told," she said. 

"There was 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 ... What somebody else may call drama is an actual trauma for me that I have lived with for an extremely long time. And it is only through my battle with cancer that I decided to address this trauma and be open and honest about it, so I could actually heal from a livelihood that was taken away from me; a livelihood that was taken away from my family, because someone else wanted to be Number One on the call sheet. That is the truth."

All eight seasons of Charmed are now streaming on Peacock.