Tori Spelling is bravely sharing her experiences and lessons from her past marriage. This is a deeply personal journey that offers valuable insights into the complexities of family and relationships.

Unveiling the Truth Behind Tori Spelling's Marriage

Initial Stay for the Sake of Children

On the Tuesday, Dec. 10 episode of her podcast "Misspelling", Tori Spelling, now 51 years old, opened up about her former marriage to Dean McDermott, who is 58. She admitted that initially, she stayed with him for the well-being of their children. She realized that staying as long as she did might have been a "disservice" to them. The former couple, who divorced in June 2023, share five kids: Liam Aaron, 17, Stella Doreen, 16, Hattie Margaret, 13, Finn Davey, 12, and Beau Dean, 7. Tori began to explain, "On my part, at least, the want of kids, just always wanting their parents together, I think kept me from making what was outwardly a better decision for them than what they saw between two partners."There was only one example of family dynamics she could look to for guidance - her own parents, Candy and Aaron Spelling. But she admitted that this ultimately steered her in the wrong direction. "My parents were married over 25 years, up until my dad passed," she said. "I saw a family always together, and so it was different and I always thought that as bad as things might be between my partner and myself, it’s better to have their dad in the house, than in a different residence." She continued, "I think that kept me in the relationship far too long, and it ultimately, I feel, did a disservice to my kids."

Relationship Challenges Before Kids

Spelling said that she and McDermott were already facing relationship issues before they had any children. However, as a proud mom, she will "never regret" working through those initial challenges. "I think he and I both were in a place where we might have separated or divorced before Beau was born," she said. "But we worked on our relationship, stayed together and I’ll never regret not leaving then. I’m sure he wouldn’t either because we wouldn’t have had Beau."Even so, there are still times when she wishes for that extra help. "There’s still times where I’m like, ‘Oh gosh, it would be so nice to have that extra set of hands.'” But she is also acutely aware of how "rough" their relationship was for her kids to witness. "It was very disjointing."