On the occasion of her 51st birthday, Alyssa Milano considers the life lessons that have molded her into the person she is today. The Charmed star recognizes hitting “level 51” in a thorough post on X (previously known as Twitter). She also discloses her own “cheat codes,” which have helped her get through her life’s ups and downs.
“To unlock this level, I have discovered a few cheat codes that have helped me navigate the challenges and triumphs along the way,” she says. The first cheat code she discloses is “RESILIENCE,” highlighting the importance of love—for oneself and others—in helping her get over heartbreak, anxiety, and despair.
“GRATITUDE” is Milano’s second cheat code, which she explains allows her to embrace curiosity and enjoy life’s small pleasures. She thanks God that her heart is beating and links herself to a long history of success.
She describes her last two cheat codes as “compassion and empathy,” admitting that they made her uncomfortable but also pointing out how they helped her become a more thoughtful and modest person. Milano stresses that she has been able to create strong bonds and promote communal cohesion by being aware of and empathizing with people’s emotions.
The unconditional love of the people in Milano’s life has been the “most significant factor in reaching level 51,” she says, emphasizing their importance. She embraces their presence with an abundance of appreciation and acknowledges them as the catalyst for her personal development.
After wrapping up her birthday meditation, Milano welcomes the difficulties and delights that lie ahead, knowing that the life-long game will be navigated by her tenacity, gratitude, empathy, compassion, and the love of people around her.
After Shannen Doherty, Milano’s co-star on Charmed, revealed details of their previous dispute during the early 2000s season, Milano shared a birthday post. Doherty recently talked about Milano’s competition and the lack of female support she had on her show. After Doherty’s surgery, the gap seemed to get worse when Milano and her mother allegedly refused to let him see his friend and co-star Holly Marie Combs in the hospital.
Combs asserted on a recent Let’s Be Clear episode that the feud peaked during Charmed Season 3 filming. She was allegedly told by a producer that Milano was threatening to sue the company for creating a hostile work environment, and the production team had to pick between Doherty and Milano. Doherty denied having ever treated Milano badly while working on a set. In the end, Doherty’s Prue Halliwell character was written out by the producers in the 2001 Charmed Season 3 finale, and Rose McGowan was cast as Paige.