'Charmed' Creator Sues CBS Studios Over Profits (Exclusive)

The creator of the supernatural drama Charmed has sued CBS Studios claiming she was cheated out of millions of dollars from the long-running series due to faulty accounting.

Constance M. Burge, through her loan-out company Sidework, claims in a lawsuit filed Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court that her contract for the show granted her fixed compensation and 7.5% of the "Adjusted Gross Receipts" from the show.

But Burge claims that CBS Studios, which stepped into the shoes of producer Spelling Television, has shortchanged her and failed to allow a complete audit of the series. Even without being granted full access to the books and records, Burge claims her auditors "uncovered substantial underreporting of income due to" her, according to the suit.

Charmed, which starred Holly Marie Combs, Rose McGowan, Shannen Doherty and Alyssa Milano, aired on the WB from 1998-2006.

CBS Studios declined to comment.

The suit for breach of contract, and an accounting was filed by Larry Stein, Edward Klein and Ashley Yeargan of L.A.'s Liner Grode Stein firm.

Email Matthew Belloni at Matthew.Belloni@thr.com.