‘Charmed’s Rose McGowan Keeps Tussle With the Reboot’s Sarah Jeffery Alive
UPDATE (10/15/20 1:20 p.m. ET):
Original Charmed star Rose McGowan (Paige) has responded to the criticism she and Holly Marie Combs (Piper) received from the reboot’s Sarah Jeffery (Maggie) over comments they made in an Instagram video on October 10.
“Dear Sarah Jeffery, I honestly had no idea who you were til you tweeted,” McGowan wrote in a letter she shared on her Instagram Stories. “I have been too busy fighting monsters & fighting for a massive Cultural Reset to notice who’s in the reboot. Absolutely nothing to do with race, that’s quite a stretch you took. I’m beyond glad any WOC has a well paying job.”
She went on to explain that her “quibble (google it) is about execs & producers & @wb network trading on years of my work & name in such a cynical & obvious way — a money grab to cash in on the Charmed name.” Read her full statement below.
(Rose McGowan/Instagram)
Original story (10/14/20 11:45 a.m. ET):
The stars of both the original Charmed and its reboot are on different sides when it comes to the new series on The CW (entering Season 3 in 2021).
Rose McGowan (who played witch Paige), in an Instagram Live on October 10 (below) with her costar on the original, Holly Marie Combs (who played her half-sister, Piper), said the reboot “sucks,” though admitted, while Combs laughed, “I haven’t seen it, I can’t say that. … I’m happy that people have jobs. But it can still suck.”
When reboot star Sarah Jeffery (Maggie) saw the Instagram video, thanks to a fan who sent it to her, she posted on Twitter that she “thought, better to just let them shout into the abyss. But I do want to say, I find it sad and quite frankly pathetic to see grown women behaving this way. I truly hope they find happiness elsewhere, and not in the form of putting down other WOC. I would be embarrassed to behave this way. Peace and love to y’all.”
1/2 You know, I saw this earlier and I refrained from saying anything. I thought, better to just let them shout into the abyss. But I do want to say, I find it sad and quite frankly pathetic to see grown women behaving this way. https://t.co/MuyZCZjbCp
— Sarah Jeffery (@sarahjeffery) October 13, 2020
Combs the next day tweeted (without specifying what she was responding t0), “That’s some bulls**t. And a lot of it. Clearly. People speaking, excuse me typing, derogatory accusations of a person’s character despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary because of a difference in opinions about a tv show is just plain wrong. And also personal gain honey.” She added in another tweet, “There’s more important things happening in the world. Carry on.”
That’s some bullshit. And a lot of it. Clearly. People speaking, excuse me typing, derogatory accusations of a person’s character despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary because of a difference in opinions about a tv show is just plain wrong. And also personal gain honey.
— Holly Marie Combs Ryan (@H_Combs) October 13, 2020
Combs also noted in a subsequent tweet that her laughing in the Instagram video was “not me going hard. I’m well aware of the inequities in casting and what are still erroneously deemed as success making formulas.”
She has been critical of a reboot for years. When it was announced in January 2018, she tweeted, “Until you ask us to rewrite it like Brad Kern did weekly don’t even think of capitalizing on our hard work. Charmed belongs to the 4 of us, our vast amount of writers, crews and predominantly the fans. FYI you will not fool them by owning a title/stamp.”
The last Jeffery spoke of the matter on Twitter was with a photo she shared of her father with original series star Shannen Doherty (Prue, who was killed off at the end of Season 3). “He approached her saying his daughter was a new Charmed one (pre-covid!),” Jeffery wrote. “He told me she was so kind, thrilled for us, and excited to take a picture. She sent her love.”
In other news, my dad met the lovely @DohertyShannen on set once whilst standing in. He approached her saying his daughter was a new Charmed one (pre-covid!). He told me she was so kind, thrilled for us, and excited to take a picture. She sent her love. 🥰 pic.twitter.com/io3DhalZZY
— Sarah Jeffery (@sarahjeffery) October 13, 2020
The original Charmed aired eight seasons, from 1998 to 2006, on the WB. The reboot premiered on the CW in 2018.
Charmed, Season 3, 2021, The CW
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