It took them a very long time, but Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott finally made the big announcement about a year and a half ago:
They were getting divorced after almost two decades of marriage.
“It is with great sadness and a very heavy heart that after 18 years together and 5 amazing children, @torispelling and I have decided to go our separate ways and start a new journey of our own,” the actor wrote in an Instagram post. Have decided.” Statement on June 17, 2023.
Spelling filed again in March 2024.
Why did he wait so long?
Why did she stay with McDermott after he cheated on her and why didn’t the couple split up sooner?
“On my part, at least, the desire is to have kids,” Spelling said on the December 10 episode of the Misspelling podcast, elaborating further:
“I think just always wanting my parents to be together saved me from making this decision — what was a better decision for them than what they saw as a relationship between two partners.”
Of course, many people stay in marriage for their children.
But it became clear very early on that the relationship was doomed, as McDermott himself said last November, taking on an enormous amount of responsibility at the time.
“Tori has only ever wanted me to be happy and healthy and I have caused that woman a lot of harm and pain,” McDermott said about 13 months ago.
“The wine made me feel a lot better. I started out feeling quite good until it got to the point where it wasn’t – it ended in isolation.
“It ended with me drinking the fifth tequila every night, seven days a week, and smoking handfuls of dope alone with a beautiful family in the other room.
“That’s what led to the rift between me and Tori and what happened.”
While the actress said this week that she thought she was making this decision for the sake of her five children, she now realizes why it was the wrong decision.
“My parents were married for 25 years, until my father passed away,” he said of Candy Spelling and late producer Aaron Spelling.
“I saw a family always together, and so it was different and I always thought that, no matter how bad things are between my partner and I, it is better to have his father living in the house than having separate residences.
“I think it kept me in the relationship for too long, and ultimately it did a disservice to my children.”
The exes have Liam, 17, Stella, 16, Hattie, 13, Finn, 12, and Beau, 7.
Spelling now says she’s glad the couple dealt with the problems years ago… otherwise Beau wouldn’t be here.
“I think she and I were both in a place where we were separated or divorced before Beau was born,” she said on her podcast.
“But we worked on our relationship, stayed together and I will never regret not leaving then. I’m sure he wouldn’t do the same because we wouldn’t have Beau.