‘WE’RE ALWAYS THERE FOR EACH OTHER’
Friends for 30 years, Jennie Garth and Tori Spelling open up about sticking together and reuniting for ‘BH90210’
Jennie Garth and Tori Spelling tell all
It’s been nearly three decades, but Tori Spelling and Jennie Garth’s first photo shoot to promote their hit ’90s series Beverly Hills, 90210 – in acid-washed denim and bright tees on an LA beach – remains fresh in their memories. “We played tug-of-war,” recalls Garth. Adds Spelling, “I remember Ian [Ziering] dipped his toes in the water because he thought it would be warm, and it was freezing!” Now, Spelling and Garth are revisiting their beloved characters on Fox’s hit BH90210, the clever summer reboot that they dreamed up and produce together. What began as an on-set friendship in 1990 has grown deeper in recent years, especially as both women have weathered loss, re-evaluated their marriages and parented young children (eight between them!) while striving to find their footing in a relentlessly fickle industry. “We’ve found so much strength from the challenges we’ve been through,” says Spelling, 46. “And we’re using it to propel us forward.” Sitting down with WHO, Spelling and Garth, 47, are by turns jovial and emotional as they talk about heartbreak, public scrutiny and how their intense bond has brought them personal and professional triumph.
The show is a success! How did it get off the ground?
SPELLING We wanted to create something that we could do together, and we love doing comedy, but we didn’t want to do a straight reboot. GARTH I just thought, there’s no way we can do that again. So the inspiration was in the vein of Curb Your Enthusiasm. We started a group text [among the cast] and [eventually], everyone came on board.
There used to be constant rumours of on-set feuds and drama. What was it like going back?
GARTH It kind of felt like a clean slate. There weren’t a bunch of grievances or “Oh, I read that interview and you gave shade.”
Has your friendship had ups and downs? SPELLING Our lives went separate ways for a good many years. Then when our fathers passed away [Spelling’s in 2006, Garth’s in 2008] we contacted each other. There was that trepidation of, “What if we can’t go back?” But we picked up right where we
left off. We’ll always have each other’s backs. GARTH We both acknowledge that we’re different than we were then. I don’t want people to see her as they used to see her. I want them to see a super smart, beautiful strong woman.
SPELLING Back then, I was a people pleaser, because if I didn’t smile, I was just the producer [Aaron Spelling’s] rich daughter and I was a bitch. And for Jennie, everything was so magnified, she went inward. So she reminds me to be the strong woman I am and I remind her to be the nice kind person she is. Do you still feel misunderstood? SPELLING I always felt misunderstood. I was either Aaron Spelling’s daughter or I was Donna Martin. It was really hard for me to get past that. My reality shows were my way of saying, “Look, I’m just like you!”
There are still many misconceptions. What bugs you most about your public image? SPELLING The one thing that stuck forever was the plastic surgery thing. I had my nose done and my boobs done, that’s it! But I’m constantly reading that I’ve done more. Jennie, you recently reconciled with your husband, Dave Abrams, after he filed for divorce in 2018 (see sidebar). How has your relationship changed?
GARTH Dave and I fell in love really fast and got married within six months [in July 2015]. We rushed it too much and that hurt us. [The possibility] of a third divorce really devastated me. [Garth was previously wed to musician Daniel Clark from 1994-1996 and actor Peter Facinelli from 2001-2013.] We definitely had to just part ways completely. And just when I felt whole again, we started hanging out. He needed to go away and figure everything out. Before, when everything wasn’t shiny and pretty like it had been initially, when things got challenging, he didn’t know how to handle it. Marriage is not like a fairytale. It’s a process, and it’s about continuously wanting to make it better.
Tori, some of your kids (Liam, 12, Stella, 11, Hattie, 7, Finn, also 7 and Beau, 2) have been bullied on social media. What is that like? SPELLING I feel like people don’t take children into consideration when they talk about divorce, infidelity, anything. We can’t shield them from everything. My children are really thick-skinned and I love them for that. But bullying is no longer schoolyard bullying. And it’s not acceptable.
GARTH It’s weird raising my daughters [Luca, 22, Lola, 16 and Fiona, 12] in LA. Their dad [Facinelli] is an actor and their mum is an actress. I try to teach them how to deal with the things I know they’re going to inevitably have to deal with. I bust their balls. I’m tough on them, but they love me for it. I hope!
Jennie, how is navigating parenthood with your ex?
GARTH [Our kids] are children of divorce and it impacted their lives at different formative stages. I feel sad for them that they have to deal with that. They like it when we spend time all together.
One painful thing about seeing the
BH90210 cast back together is dealing with the loss of Luke Perry. How are you coping with that?
GARTH Many times throughout filming I thought, “He would be so happy right now, to see us [all together again].”
SPELLING Contractually, he couldn’t be a regular [due to commitments on his show Riverdale] but he was so supportive and proud that we were putting it together. GARTH I think we all recognise that there is a reason things have come full circle. We have our ups and downs, but we love each other. And we’re meant to be together. •
“Luke said of our idea [for the show], ‘Do what you set out to do and don’t let anyone change your mind’.”
— Jennie Garth on late co-star Luke Perry