Seven years after she was fired from Beverly Hills, 90210, Spelling Television has confirmed that Doherty is gone again--this time leaving the WB's witchy hit Charmed after three seasons, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
"We have had a long and prosperous relationship with Shannen and we didn't want to hold her back from what she wanted to do," Spelling Television said. "We wish her all the best and much continued success."
Charmed, starring Doherty, Alyssa Milano and Holly Marie Combs as supernatural sisters working together to fight evil, remains the Frog network's second highest-rated show, averaging 4.8 million viewers in its Thursday-night time slot.
But this season, the series has been plagued by rumors of on-set tensions, specifically between Milano and Doherty. The news comes after the 30-year-old actress just finished directing the show's season finale. (Ironically, Doherty and Combs acted as bridesmaids at Milano's 1998 wedding to rocker Cinjun Tate. The couple have since divorced.)
Said Doherty in a statement: "I have certainly enjoyed my time with Charmed, in particular the dedicated cast, crew and staff. I had the opportunity to create a character, learn and perform my own stunt work and direct three episodes of the show. At this time, I feel that I have accomplished everything I set out to do when I returned to series television.
"Thus, after three years and 66 successful episodes, the people at Spelling Entertainment and the WB were gracious enough to give me the chance to move on and pursue other endeavors," she said.
The WB is expected to have Charmed on its fall lineup when it's announced this week in New York. But Doherty's departure certainly throws a wrench into things story-wise: The show's founding premise, "The Power of Three," requires that all three sisters must come together to fight the bad guys.
This, however, should all sound oddly familiar. It was on-set tensions that allegedly led Doherty to part ways with Spelling the first time, from Beverly Hills, 90210 in 1994. The erstwhile Brenda Walsh cited "creative differences" with Spelling when she left Fox's hit show after four seasons, but others claimed it was diva-like behavior that led her costars to demand she be fired.
Spelling eventually welcomed her back with open arms, casting her in Charmed as Prue Halliwell, one of three sisters armed with magical powers.
It's already been a tough year for Doherty. Last month, the actress pleaded no contest to drunken-driving charges stemming from a December arrest in which her truck was pulled over for allegedly weaving across a Southern California highway.
She's due back in a Ventura County, California, courtroom June 12 for sentencing.
(updated 5/14/01 at 10:00 a.m. PT)