90210 is one of the biggest Gen X TV shows of all time. Millennials had Dawson’s Creek, but 90210 walked so Dawson’s could fly. Anyway, there always seemed to be reports of drama among the cast regarding their dating lives, relationships with each other, personalities, etc. Shannen Doherty and Jennie Garth famously got into a fight on-set over a prank, and Garth has spoken out about how competitive being on that set made her. Shannen and Tori Spelling were super close until one day, they just weren’t.
They’re friends again now, though, and Tori was the guest star on Shannen’s podcast, Let’s Be Clear. During the episode, they went down memory lane, trying to remember exactly what happened between them when they stopped being friends. They ended coming to the conclusion that things went south because of Tori’s “abusive” ex-boyfriend and tendency to be easily influenced by those around her.
During their discussion, Doherty and Spelling tried to recall the “pivotal moment” where their friendship changed, because it was “like one minute, we were friends, and then one minute we weren’t,” Doherty recalled.
Spelling admitted to being a “swayer,” which could have led to the demise of their friendship. Doherty agreed, adding, “You were always easily swayed. And it was very frustrating for me because I always used to tell you like, ‘Yeah, Tor, have an opinion.’ Like, you’re smart, you’re funny, you’re talented. I loved you and I respected you and I wanted you to believe in yourself as much as I believed in you.”
Doherty put at least part of the blame on Spelling’s boyfriend at the time, whom Spelling described as “abusive” and an “addict.” The Charmed actress then discussed a couples trip she and Spelling took with their respective partners that led to a breaking point for her.
“I specifically remember looking at you and saying, ‘You have to end it with him, or I’m going to actually kill him. Like, I can’t stand by and watch this,’” Doherty said, adding that after that trip, she and Spelling “started drifting apart.”
Doherty also cited some tension between the 90210 cast, with Spelling admitting that she would be “easily swayed” by the others, such as when Doherty, Luke Perry, and Jason Priestley appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone. According to Doherty, several cast members, including Spelling, approached her as a group to tell her, “I should not be doing covers without the entire cast.”
While Spelling doesn’t remember the magazine cover intervention, she notes that she had, and still has, a hard time speaking up for herself.
“I think when I was young, it was whoever was the alpha more at the moment would sway me,” Spelling said. “And I think I couldn’t stand up for myself … I didn’t take ownership of anything. So it’s like, you know, nice, nice, nice to everyone. But it’s like you said, have a f—ing opinion about something. And I’m sure I did.”
Years later, the actresses have buried the hatchet so deep they can’t place the exact thing that broke up their friendship — though it sounds like it was just ordinary growing pains all friends go through, except a Rolling Stone cover rarely enters the conversation.
Because I know everyone is probably wondering, the abusive ex-boyfriend is presumed to be Nick Savalas. Tori has spoken about his abuse before, including how Luke Perry once punched him to defend her. I think it’s hilarious that neither of them quite remember what happened. Tori didn’t even remember the drama over the magazine cover! Like, come on, ladies, where was the tell-all back in the day with more details? We have to find out what happened 30 years after the fact? Geeze, Taylor would’ve written a good five to thirteen songs if these events had happened to her. (I kid, I kid!)
This feels pretty normal to me for young adults to go through. I want to say it sounds very high school, but I could see this happening with adult friendships, too. I think we all know adults that still have that mentality of being easily swayed by the people around them. From everything we know about Tori, she just sounds so immature, both now and back then. Younger Shannen’s reputation didn’t exactly paint her as a tactful flower, either, so maybe this was an organic growing apart due to two very different personalities. A conscious un-friendshipping, even. I’m glad Shannen and Tori were able to get over all of that and become friends again.
