face-off
The former ’90s stars were caught in a heated exchange with their families in tow
It should have been a happy occasion when former Beverly Hills, 90210 co-stars Jason Priestley, 48, and Ian Ziering, 53, bumped into each other with their families at a farmers’ market in Beverly Hills. But as the one-time ’90s TV heartthrobs – aka Brandon Walsh and Steve Sanders – caught up, the strain between them was clear. “It definitely seemed awkward,” an onlooker tells Woman’s Day. “They tried to be polite, but their body language told a different story. It looked as if neither of them wanted to be there. They had a quick chat and then went their separate ways. It’s just as well – with that much tension in the air, things could have turned nasty!”
While there has never been a public rift between the two actors, Ian previously admitted he is closer to their other cast-mates, Brian Austin Green and Luke Perry.
“I had breakfast with Luke the other day. Jason, I talk to once in a while. Brian and I talk all the time,” he said.
An insider adds, “Ian and Jason were never particularly close, and even though they live in the same city, they don’t make an effort to be friends. They’re very different people now and all they have in common is their past.”
The hit teen drama series ran from 1990 to 2000 and became infamous for its off-screen feuds, particularly between female cast members Jennie Garth, Tori Spelling and Shannen Doherty. And sources say a lot of the drama “still hasn’t gone away” 18 years on.
But the group could be forced to come face to face again, as Ian has been desperately trying to orchestrate a reunion for years.
“Ian has always dined off the show’s success,” the insider confesses. “Jason takes himself very seriously and acts like he was a bit too good for 90210, but he could be swayed by a hefty pay cheque. If this does happen, it will mean there’s a lot more tension to come – and Ian and Jason’s frosty relationship is just the beginning!”