The Big Picture
- Dean McDermott admits his addiction to alcohol and prescription drugs played a role in the breakdown of his marriage to Tori Spelling.
- Despite their split, McDermott credits Spelling for trying to keep their marriage together and acknowledges the damage he caused.
- McDermott and Spelling had been living like ‘roommates’ since 2017, with separate beds due to Spelling’s need to have their pets stay in the same room.
Dean McDermott is getting real about his split from Tori Spelling now that he is sober. The former True Tori star spoke with the DailyMail about the breakdown of his marriage to the former Beverly Hills, 90210 star. During the interview, McDermott revealed that his addiction to alcohol and prescription drugs played a part in their marriage falling apart, but he gave credit to Spelling for trying to keep their marriage together. Their split was first reported in June 2023 after 18 years of marriage, in a since-deleted Instagram post.
“All Tori’s ever done to this day is want me to be happy and healthy, and I inflicted a lot of damage and pain on that woman,” he admitted. “I’m taking accountability for that today. And it’s the biggest amends that I’m ever going to have to make.” McDermott went on to reveal that he and Spelling haven’t shared a marital bed since 2017, saying they were basically living like “roommates” due to Spelling’s need to have their pets stay in the same room with them. “I drew that boundary for myself and moved to another room and things just progressed from there,” he explained. “There were no efforts to sort of remedy the problem to get back into the room.”
He went on to say that he was “deeply depressed” and that his way of coping would be consuming “a fifth of tequila every night, seven days a week,” and taking a “handful of narcos [prescription drugs].” McDermott said he grew lonely. “I’ve never been so lonely in the same house with six other people, never been so lonely in my life,” he revealed. “I didn’t know how to get out of the situation I was in. I was hurting. I was heartbroken. I was depressed. I hated myself. I didn’t want to live.”
Tori and Dean Have Struggled Before
Back when True Tori was still airing, McDermott’s infidelities were on full display. In 2013, the Canadian actor had an affair with Emily Goodhand. He first denied that it happened. Spelling’s depression over the affair was chronicled. She also had to take accountability for beginning their relationship while both were married to other people. At the time they began dating, Spelling was married to Charlie Shanian, and McDermott to Mary Jo Eustace. In one scene in the show, Spelling apologizes to Eustace for the part she played in her and McDermott’s failed marriage. Now, since his split with Spelling, McDermott has begun a relationship with 32-year-old Lily Calo. He does still refer to his relationship with Spelling as “a total fairytale” and “a beautiful love story.”
Episodes of True Tori can be streamed on Tubi for free.