Charmed Costars Keep Dating Rumors Alive and They're Totally Fine With It

When you spend eight seasons playing romantic leads on television, the line between fiction and reality can get delightfully blurry—especially when fans are watching. That’s exactly what Holly Marie Combs and Brian Krause have leaned into with a knowing smile.

The Charmed costars sat down on Australia’s The Morning Show on Wednesday, June 24, and opened up about the persistent dating rumors that follow them around. Their take? They’re not denying anything, and they’re definitely not rushing to set the record straight. Combs, 52, and Krause, 57, have become comfortable with the ambiguity.“We don’t want to burst the bubble,”Combs said.“We just go with it.”It’s the kind of playful non-denial that keeps fans guessing—and honestly, it’s kind of genius.

Here’s the thing: their on-screen chemistry was undeniable. On Charmed, which ran on The WB from 1998 to 2006, Krause played Leo, the guardian angel who eventually married Combs’character, Piper Halliwell. Their storyline was central to the show’s eight-season arc, following sisters Piper, Prue (Shannen Doherty), and Phoebe Halliwell (Alyssa Milano)—collectively known as The Charmed Ones—as they protected the innocent from evil. Off-screen, though, they’ve always been strictly platonic. Combs has been married three times: to Bryan Smith (1993–1997), David W. Donoho (2004–2011, with whom she shares three children—Finley, 22, Riley, 19, and Kelley, 17), and most recently to restaurateur Mike Ryan, whom she married in 2019.

Krause, for his part, was married to Beth Bruce starting in 1996 and had a son, Jamen, now 30, before their divorce in 2001. Interestingly, he also briefly dated costar Alyssa Milano during season 3 of Charmed, which adds another layer to the show’s behind-the-scenes dynamics.

What makes their approach refreshing is how comfortable they’ve become with the ambiguity. Rather than overexplain or defensively clarify, they’ve simply let the rumor live. Combs and Krause have remained close collaborators and friends, co-hosting the rewatch podcast The House of Halliwell alongside former costar Drew Fuller, 46, who played their onscreen son Chris. That genuine friendship, built over decades, is exactly the kind of thing that fuels speculation—and they seem entirely unbothered by it.

The Charmed universe has shifted dramatically since the show’s 2006 finale. In 2024, the cast faced profound loss when Shannen Doherty died at 53 following a battle with breast cancer. Combs, Krause, and Fuller honored her memory on their podcast, with Combs reflecting on how the sudden nature of loss reshapes perspective.“It sounds terribly cliché,”she said,“until it happens to you, you always think you have more time. Life changes on a dime.”In moments like that, the chemistry and bonds forged on set take on deeper meaning—less about dating rumors and more about the irreplaceable connections that outlast any script.