Tori Spelling Details Final Fight with Dean McDermott

Tori Spelling is sharing the final fight that ended her longtime marriage.

Late in March, Tori Spelling dropped a divorce bombshell on Dean McDermott.

It can’t have been that much of a surprise. After all, Dean announced the split himself in June of 2023.

That was a true surprise for Tori. Speaking for the first time about what went down, she shares that she found out about Dean’s breakup post after their daughter saw it online.

Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott in February of 2019.
Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott attend Fox Winter TCA at The Fig House on February 06, 2019. (Photo Credit: Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

What was Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott’s final marital fight about?

On the Monday, April 8 episode of her MisSPELLING podcast, Tori Spelling recalled how she and Dean began bickering back in June of 2023.

The quarreling began as Tori arrived home after a photoshoot with Jennie Garth. Jennie was, of course, one of Tori’s 90210 costars. It sounds like this fight took place on the night of June 16, 2023.

According to Tori, Dean told her something that “he knew would really be hurtful to hear” during their quarrel.

Tori Spelling on April 1, 2024.Tori Spelling on April 1, 2024.
Tori Spelling attends the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards at Dolby Theatre on April 01, 2024. (Photo Credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

Loving someone often means giving them the power to hurt your feelings. It seems that, in his anger, Dean chose to take advantage of that with Tori.

Understandably, Tori did not decide to share the exact comment that Dean had made to her. She did, however, reveal her reaction.

Tori admitted that she “smashed” a loaded baked potato onto the kitchen floor. “This guttural scream came out of me. It was beast-like; it wasn’t pretty at all.”

Tori Spelling, Dean McDermott, and their kids in January of 2023.Tori Spelling, Dean McDermott, and their kids in January of 2023.
Stella McDermott, Tori Spelling, Liam McDermott, Dean McDermott, and guests attend the 2023 iHeartRadio ALTer EGO Presented by Capital One at The Kia Forum on January 14, 2023. (Photo Credit: Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for iHeartRadio)

The fight didn’t end with Tori Spelling’s scream

Tori continued her description of the event, recalling how she had locked herself into their primary bedroom.

According to her, Dean became “fired up” and began “banging on the door.” Eventually, he entered the room — using the unlocked outdoor entrance.

“He came in and he was very, very upset. And he said, ‘I want a divorce. This is over.’ And I said, OK. Great. OK,’” Tori narrated.

Tori Spelling in June of 2022.Tori Spelling in June of 2022.
Tori Spelling attends the 2022 iHeartRadio Wango Tango at Dignity Health Sports Park on June 04, 2022. (Photo Credit: Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for iHeartRadio)

On the podcast, Tori acknowledged how Dean had “threatened” divorce “one million times” before. Memorably, just a couple of years earlier, Tori and Dean had seemed all but over.

However, this time, Dean followed through. On June 17, 2023, he took to Instagram to unilaterally announce the end of their marriage.

It was a surprise post — especially after, as far as the public knew, he and Tori had been doing well for months. And despite their conversation on the topic, it came as a surprise to Tori, too.

A jarring light mode screenshot of Dean McDermott's Instagram caption announcing the end of his marriage.A jarring light mode screenshot of Dean McDermott's Instagram caption announcing the end of his marriage.
On June 17, 2023, Dean McDermott posted this Instagram caption announcing the end of his marriage. He deleted it hours later. (Image Credit: Instagram)

Tori Spelling found out secondhand about Dean announcing their split

It was Stella McDermott, who had just turned 15 about one week before, he saw her father’s post online. That’s how Tori learned about it.

“I’m not kidding you guys, I felt like this giant rock had been lifted off my chest,” Tori acknowledged.

She expressed: “I could breathe deeply, and I was like, ‘Oh my God. He said it, so now I’m free.’”

A photo of Tori Spelling in late May, 2023.A photo of Tori Spelling in late May, 2023.
Tori Spelling attends the premiere of Freeform’s “Cruel Summer” Season 2 at Grace E. Simons Lodge on May 31, 2023. (Photo Credit: David Livingston/Getty Images)

Tori continued, elaborating: “Like, ‘Everything has started, and this, I couldn’t do it. And he did it, and now I can move on. He’s put it out there, Let’s go. Yes. I needed this.’”

To her listeners, she tried to explain: “You know? Like, I couldn’t do it myself.”

However, her relief was not without complications. She grew less enthusiastic when she realized how distressed Stella seemed to be.

Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott in November of 2019.Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott in November of 2019.
Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott attend UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital’s 20th Annual “Party on the Pier” at Pacific Park – Santa Monica Pier on November 03, 2019. (Photo Credit: arah Morris/Getty Images for UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital)

The split was not just about Tori and Dean, but also about their children

As we reported in June of 2023, Dean only took down his Instagram announcement (hours after posting it) by request. It did not reflect a change of heart.

However, Tori revealed that he initially ignored her wishes — which is what prompted Stella to ask him.

According to Tori, Dean “wasn’t understanding clearly what she was asking and what was happening ot everyone around him at that moment.”

According to Tori, “He was like, ‘You don’t understand. It’s been a long time coming. You know, mom and I are gonna co-parent everything.’”

She continued: “And she’s like, ‘Dad, you’re not understanding. It’s not about that. You guys can get a divorce. You should, but you just put it out there publicly before we’ve dealt with it. That shouldn’t be the case.’”

There are countless examples of teenage children who have more emotional maturity than their parent. This sounds like yet another.

Dean McDermott and Tori Spelling in October of 2019.Dean McDermott and Tori Spelling in October of 2019.
Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott attend the Much Love Animal Rescue 3rd Annual Spoken Woof Benefit at Microsoft Lounge on October 17, 2019. (Photo Credit: Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images)

It was not an easy night for their family

According to Tori, it was a “rough night” with their children. Presumably, they broke the news to everyone. Presumably teenage Liam took the news differently than young Beau, who is less than half his age.

Divorce can tear siblings apart from each other. An unknown can be scary. But it’s almost invariably better than living with both parents while they’re trapped in a miserable marriage.

Congratulations to Tori and Dean on no longer torturing themselves with their marriage. We join Tori in mourning her loaded baked potato.

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