- Lovable witch Piper aka Holly Marie Combs, from the popular TV show “Charmed,” does not care about being called “old, fat or ugly,” as she boldly shows off her look at 49.
- Combs is a doting mom of three handsome boys and has opened up about how it took her three times to find the “right” man for her.
- The actress has also been open about her health issues and how she rebelled on many occasions while filming “Charmed.”
“Charmed” star Holly Marie Combs has seen quite a few significant changes in her life after battling health issues. Showing off her new look at 49, the actress has made it very clear that she is done caring about the superficial opinions of others.
The “Pretty Little Liars” alum was spotted out with her “Charmed” co-star and love interest, Brian Krause, looking as “magical” as ever in a long black coat. The fabulous actress sported an all-black look while posing for a picture with friends in Paris, France.
Alyssa Milano, Shannen Doherty, and Holly Marie Combs as their characters from from “Charmed” in 1999 | Source: Getty Images
A comment talking about how good Holly Marie Combs looks in her recent photograph posted by a friend on Facebook on April 2, 2023 | Source: Facebook.com/Shayla Garcia
On a podcast episode, Combs opened up about her health difficulties, which started while filming the first season of the all-time series favorite “Charmed.” The “Love’s Complicated” actress spoke about how she had a mass growing in her uterus that was compared to being “the size of a baseball” during the run of the drama series.
According to the Hollywood actress, there was fear over the possibility that the mass was cancerous, so the show halted production for two weeks while she underwent surgery to remove it. With regard to her then diagnosis, Combs explained the following:
“They had found a rather large tumor in my uterus during [the first] season, and it kept growing at a rate that was [unhealthy].”
Holly Marie Combs as Piper in “Charmed” in 1999 | Source: Getty Images
After her successful surgery, the show resumed filming, and Combs disclosed that she had difficulty walking. Thus, for most of her scenes, her character, Piper, was seen sitting down a lot of the time.
Though Combs had faced a challenging time, she reports on how the situation actually brought the cast, specifically the two women who played her sisters, Shannen Doherty, and Alyssa Milano, closer together:
“We got very close, all of us, during this time. Shannen would leave my hospital room, and Alyssa and her mom would come in. When I went home, Alyssa’s mom had made me chicken soup and food for the week because it was a really major surgery [and] the girls really pulled together during this time for me.”
Holly Marie Combs at the Manga & Sci-Fi show at Parc des Expositions Porte de Versailles in France, 2018 | Source: Getty Images
Combs went on to express how much the public has no idea about the closeness and solidified bonds the three co-stars shared. The “Picket Fences” actress detailed just how protective she is over the show itself and the special moments of the connection she shared with her fellow castmates:
“I’m very protective of the show and my part in it, but I’m also [extremely] protective of the moments that we had like this [one]. No one has any idea how much Shannen and Alyssa did for me during this time. No one [knows] how much we went through behind the scenes, how much we did together, and how close we were.”
Later on during the podcast episode, Combs revealed that she happily anticipates the removal of two additional benign masses that grew after her first surgery. The Hollywood star was adamant about not advertising the news a lot because of her affinity for privacy and wanting to protect the show’s legacy.
In a tweet posted on August 5, 2021, the “Dr. Giggles” talent announced that she might possibly have two or three autoimmune issues. The star had posted about the news in line with encouraging people to stay healthy and safe.
Back in 2020, Combs admitted to not caring about what other people may think of her current appearance since seeing her on “Charmed.” The actress had reposted a tweet by fellow actress Yvette Nicole Brown in which she stated:
“I don’t care if you call me z-list, old, fat, or ugly. On any given day, I may be all of those things.”
Brian Krause at the “Sugar Town” premiere in Beverly Hills, 1999 | Source: Getty Images
How Did Holly Marie Combs Find The “Right” Man And Become A Mom?
Despite facing an array of complicated health issues, Combs has accomplished a lot in her life that she more than deserves to feel proud of. Apart from her successful acting career, Combs has also divulged how she found the perfect man after giving birth to her three sons.
Before meeting her current husband, Combs was married twice before. In 1993, she married actor Brian Travis Smith, and the ex-couple divorced four years later, in 1997. In 2004, Combs married another actor, David W. Donoho, with whom she had three sons, Finley Arthur Donoho, Riley Edward Donoho, and Kelley James Donoho. Combs divorced Donoho in 2011.
While attending the 90s Con last year (2022), Combs revealed a moment on “Charmed” where she had rebelled against a request made by the show’s producers.
Combs met Mike Ryan, a restauranteur, in 2016, at his Los Angeles restaurant Xoc. According to Combs, she never saw their relationship coming, and it took her by surprise:
“It’s that age-old story of when you’re not looking for something, that’s when you find it. And it smacked me right in the face! Our connection was so immediate [and] just when I stopped looking for the perfect person, the perfect person showed up.”
After the couple courted and went on official dates while maintaining caution because both were single parents at the time, Ryan proposed to Combs in 2017. The restauranteur sweetly and considerately ensured that all their children, including his own daughter, were present for the special occasion.
In a gorgeously intimate outdoor ceremony, the couple wed in Carmel, California, and exchanged their vows at Saint Lucia Preserve inside a redwood grove. The happy couple was joined by family and friends, which included the former co-stars of Combs, Brian Kraus, and Drew Fuller.
Combs was adorned in a beautifully soft, elegant white wedding dress with slack sleeves that lay delicately just off her shoulders. Most of the dress’s material was tulle, and the gown was finished with a veil-like cape covering her body.
The actress paired the look with stunning silver jewelry – a retro spikey crown on her head and a beautifully intricate necklace. Her hubby wore a smart black tuxedo with a white undershirt and a modern-looking bow while his hair was slicked back.
Combs and Ryan are very happy in love, and the “Charmed” talent never misses an opportunity to post adorable pictures of the two of them together. In an Instagram post posted to her feed on August 19, 2017, the actress shared a plethora of couple pics, with a caption that spoke to how grateful she is having found the “right” one for her:
“I’ve been wrong about a million times, but I got one thing right…you. Baby, I got one thing right.”
In another Instagram post, the “See Jane Date” actress posted an array of photographs from memorable moments of their wedding. Combs caption reads:
“Since 3 is my lucky number…Happy Anniversary to the guy that holds us all together.”
Combs’ three boys have now all grown up into teenagers, and the proud boy-mom always posts adoring pictures and videos of the trio on her Instagram feed. All boys were in attendance for a front-row seat at their mother’s beautiful wedding, looking dapper in their black-tie suits.
In a cute Instagram video that the star posted to her feed on April 8, 2023, her boys are seen walking around what looks to be a goat farm. The eldest son looks completely grown, showing off his full mustache, while the three boys play with the goats and enjoy quality family time.
Why Did Holly Marie Combs Rebel While Starring on “Charmed”?
While attending the 90s Con in 2022, Combs revealed a moment on “Charmed” where she had rebelled against a request made by the show’s producers. The Hollywood A-lister disclosed that for most of the show’s taping, she did not wear a bra and claimed that there was a particular reason for that:
“They wanted me to wear a big, padded push-up bra, and I was like, ‘no,’ hence why there are so many scenes of me not wearing a bra whatsoever. Which I apologize for, but at the moment, at the time, it was [vital].”
Holly Marie Combs at the 1st Annual Teen Choice Awards in 1999 | Source: Getty Images
Combs detailed how the request eventually made its way to her indirectly on set. The actress explained how the request would go through a pipeline of people working on set before getting to her:
“They tried to be gentle about it, but the messages would come down through the ranks. And then there would be, you know, that unfortunate person who had to deliver the message to you. Usually, it was down to wardrobe [and] they [would] set these different bras in my dressing room, and I was like, ‘Those belong to somebody else.'”
Alyssa Milano, Holly Marie Combs, and Shannen Doherty posing as their characters from “Charmed” in 1999 | Source: Getty Images
The “Point of Entry” star stuck her ground and did not let anything deter her from refusing the request. When asked by one of the panel’s hosts whether production had offered her any alternative, Combs said they had not.
Combs was not phased about being the outlier on set who refused such requests from higher-ups. She even compared her experience with fellow co-stars Milano and McGowan, who she said did not need to have push-up bras.
Holly Marie Combs as Piper from “Charmed” in 1999 | Source: Getty Images
Combs has seen many tough times throughout her life, but she has conquered them all and now lives a “Charmed” life. Having found her perfect match, she now lives a beautiful life with her loving husband and adorable children.
