Shannen Doherty Reunites With Former ‘Charmed’ Castmates and Gives Canc*r Update

On March 18, Shannen Doherty reunited with several of her Charmed castmates at the second annual 90s Con in Hartford, Connecticut.

Shannen Doherty was already an established actress when she was cast as Prue Halliwell in the original Charmed series in 1998. While the show ran for eight seasons until 2006, Doherty only starred in the first three seasons before she left and was replaced. Nonetheless, she’s considered one of the originals. 

The show tells the story of three sisters – Prue Halliwell (played by Shannen), Piper Halliwell (played by Holly Marie Combs), and Phoebe Halliwell (played by Alyssa Milano) – who are the most powerful good witches of all time. They use their powers – known as the ‘Power of Three’ to protect innocent lives. 

When Shannen left in 2001, her character was killed off and replaced by the trio’s long-lost sister, Paige Matthews – who was played by Rose McGowan. Piper, Phoebe, and Paige create a new ‘Power of Three’ for the next five seasons. Overall, the show had 178 episodes and millions of regular viewers. 

On March 18, Shannen Doherty reunited with several of her Charmed castmates at the second annual 90s Con in Hartford, Connecticut. While Milano wasn’t in attendance, she was joined by Combs and McGowan. “I mean, is this not like a power of three or what?” Doherty said when taking the stage. 

Outside of the sisters, she was joined by Drew Fuller (who played Chris Halliwell in Seasons 5-8), Brian Krause (who played Leo Wyatt in Seasons 1-8), and Dorian Gregory (who played Darryl Morris in Seasons 1-7). The panel talked about their experiences on the show and fielded questions from fans. 

At one point during the panel, a fan brought up the Charmed reboot, which ran between 2018 and 2022 and was met by a flurry of boos. Shannen Doherty quickly defended the reboot, despite not being a part of it. “Don’t boo to people who supply literally hundreds and hundreds of people with their job,” she said.

“I’ve met a lot of people that have bonded just like all of you have bonded, right where this Charmed got you through a lot of life experiences [and] brought you and your family close to get closer together, there’s a whole other generation that felt the same thing with the new Charmed,” she continued in its defense.

Shannen Doherty Gives Brief Health Update on Breast Cancer 

Shannen Doherty was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015 and received immediate treatment, but later learned that it was more advanced than doctors initially thought – which resulted in her undergoing chemotherapy and radiation. By 2017, she revealed that her breast cancer was officially in remission. 

Three years later, on February 4, 2020, Doherty announced that her breast cancer had returned and had started to spread – meaning she’s now at stage 4. During her appearance at 90s Con, Doherty was asked how she was feeling – “I‘m feeling great, thank you! This crowd is amazing!” she replied with a big smile.

 
She also likened her strength to that of Prue Halliwell, her character in the Charmed series. “Prue was a very, very, very strong woman. I was a really strong woman,” she said, adding that she feels Prue’s strength had a ‘definitive impression upon a lot of younger women who were watching the show.’”

Doherty has dedicated herself to talking about cancer and the impact it has on the mind, body, and soul. She hopes to inspire others to continue living out their wildest dreams, even in the face of despair, and wants people to understand that just because someone has cancer doesn’t mean they aren’t alive.