TV shows where cast members feuded behind the scenes

Though sisters Prue and Phoebe might have grown closer over the course of Charmed, the same can’t be said for their actresses. Shannen Doherty and Alyssa Milano reportedly clashed over work styles and professionalism, culminating in Shannen’s departure from the show after season three.

While fans believed she was fired due to behind-the-scenes behaviour, co-star Holly Marie Combs claimed on Shannen’s Let’s Be Clear podcast (per Variety) that Alyssa had given producer Jonathan Levin an ultimatum after threatening to sue for a hostile workplace environment. Following Shannen’s death in 2024, Alyssa told Entertainment Weekly, “It’s no secret that Shannen and I had a complicated relationship, but at its core [she] was someone I deeply respected.”

A relationship more complicated than Carrie and Big’s, the Manhattan-sized rivalry between Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall allegedly dated back decades, stemming from Kim’s dissatisfaction with SJP’s substantial paycheck. The Daily Mail later reported the third Sex and the City film had been cancelled due to a series of Kim’s “outrageous” demands, which the actress denied on X.

“We’ve never been friends,” Kim later told Piers Morgan’s Life Stories in 2017, adding that Sarah “could have been nicer” to her. SJP has largely refrained from commenting, calling catfight rumours “painful” to The Hollywood Reporter, though it’s reported Kim filmed her And Just Like That… scenes separate from the rest of the cast.

Dr. Preston was not happy with McDreamy on-set of Grey’s Anatomy. Actors Isaiah Washington and Patrick Dempsey got into a big fight in 2007, reportedly over Patrick’s repeated lateness to set, which resulted in Isaiah's firing from the show after allegedly using a homophobic slur reportedly aimed at T.R. Knight.

In an interview with Larry King Live (per People), the actor alleged that Patrick “became unhinged” and added that “he just becomes irate”. "I think the explosion really healed the show," Patrick later said in Lynette Rice’s 2021 book How to Save a Life: The Inside Story of Grey's Anatomy. "No one passed the buck, and everyone owned up to the situation and moved on."

Though they may have been “rivals to lovers” in the world of The X Files, the on-set relationship between Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny leaned heavily on the former. The pair reportedly clashed due to intense work pressures and often didn’t talk for long periods of time.

"It was intense, and we were both pains in the [expletive] for the other at various times,” Gillian told The Guardian, per HELLO! She later joined David on his podcast, where he noted that the pair were “just scurrying, trying to figure out who we are”. They’ve since patched things up, and fans went crazy when Gillian posted a selfie of the pair at lunch in 2021.

When Stana Katic exited Castle before a final season - which was eventually cancelled - TV fans were certain a rumoured feud with her on-screen husband, played by Nathan Fillion, were behind the shock departure. The actors reportedly clashed on-set due to behavioural differences, and though the pair themselves have kept their comments private, a source previously told Us Weekly that they “completely despise” each other.

"Stana has been my partner all this time, and I thank her for creating the character of Beckett,” Nathan said in a statement on X after his co-star’s departure. "I wish her well…she will be missed."

Though they dazzled with their chemistry on-screen, behind the scenes was a different story for Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd. The duo reportedly clashed due to conflicting personalities and long work hours, with Bruce’s rapid rise to movie stardom putting additional strain on their dynamic.

"Moonlighting was a very good show for me, and I had a lot of fun doing it. It reached a point where it was no longer fun," Bruce told The Arsenio Hall Show in 1990. Cybill recently shared with People that the pair have managed to make amends, adding that “it was time” they did so.

“Those two couldn’t warm up to each other if they were cremated together,” Golden Girls co-producer Marsha Posner Williams said during a panel, per The Hollywood Reporter. Dorothy and Rose reportedly didn’t mesh off-screen due to Bea Arthur and Betty White’s clashing acting styles, with the former taking issue with Betty’s ad-libbing and audience interaction during filming. 

Tensions allegedly boiled over when Betty won an Emmy in 1986, with Marsha also sharing that she frequently heard Bea calling her co-star profane names. “She was not that fond of me,” Betty told Village Voice in 2011. “She found me a pain in the neck sometimes. It was my positive attitude…sometimes if I was happy, she’d be furious!”