Dean McDermott’s alcohol-induced rage led to Tori spelling split
Dean McDermott broke his silence on the demise of his marriage to Tori spellingciting his drinking as the main reason for their split.
“Alcohol made me feel good. I started to feel good enough until it got to a point where I didn’t – it ended up in isolation,” McDermott, 56, told the Daily email in an interview published on Wednesday, November 15. “It ended with me drinking a fifth of tequila and a handful of tequila every night, seven days a week. [prescription medications] alone with a beautiful family in the other room.”
He continued: “That’s what it led to and that’s what led to the brokenness and what happened between me and Tori. I couldn’t do it anymore. I couldn’t live that life anymore. I was tired of the anger and shouting.”
McDermott further recalled that his alcohol-fueled fights “petrified” both Spelling and their five children. (They share sons Liam, 16, Finn, 10, and Beau, 6, and daughters Stella, 15, and Hattie, 11. McDermott is also dad to son Jack, 25, whom he shares with his ex-wife Maria Jo Eustace.)
McDermott – who married 50-year-old Spelling in 2006 – posted a divorce statement via Instagram in June. Within hours he deleted his post, a source said We weekly that despite the drama, McDermott and Spelling had no intention of divorcing.
McDermott and Spelling had not addressed their relationship issues further before his Daily email sit down. In the interview, McDermott claimed that his drinking “began to spiral out of control” after he and Spelling broke up. According to the actor, Spelling spent “most of her time” with their children.
McDermott eventually felt “increasingly” isolated from their brood, claiming that he and Spelling were more like “roommates” who rarely spent time together – or as a family.
“It made me feel even worse because I knew I played a big part in it [the problem] and I was at a point where I felt like there was nothing I could do about it,” he noted to the outlet. “Add to that the fact that we don’t sleep in the same bed.”
The isolation left McDermott feeling “heartbroken” and “depressed” and as if he “didn’t want to live.” In June he reached his breaking point.
“I got angry because I woke up and I have five, six beautiful children in my life, but I was so dark and hopeless that I couldn’t see that,” McDermott told the BBC. Daily email, noting that Spelling was supportive. “She came from such a place of love and wanted me to be healthy and happy. … It was codependency. She put my well-being well above hers. She loved me so much that she didn’t really want to tell me how it affected her, even though I could see it on her face.
After McDermott deleted his post about the breakup on social media, Spelling encouraged him to go to rehab. He completed a 40-day inpatient program later that summer and eventually moved to a sober living facility. McDermott noted that he is currently clean.
Stars who revealed they’ve gotten sober
Several of Hollywood’s biggest stars have opened up about their sobriety journeys over the years. Kelly Osbourne, who previously spoke about being sober for six years, revealed in April 2021 that she had relapsed and was working on next steps. “I’m not proud of it. But I’m back on track,” she wrote via […]
McDermott, who has not seen the film Beverly Hills, 90210 alum or the kids since June, has since moved on Lily Calo. Spelling, meanwhile, recently started dating the advertising CEO Ryan Kramer.
Regardless of the drama, McDermott has no regrets about his decades-long relationship. “It was a total fairytale. I mean, it was a beautiful love story,” he gushed. “Love at first sight and getting married in the most beautiful way possible [on a beach in Fiji]. It was a dream come true. And then we had to come back to Hollywood and deal with all the things that people gave us.
McDermott concluded, “After we got married, they all said, ‘Give it six months.’ Well, so much for six months – we showed you, because it’s been 18 years and five kids.
If you or someone you know is dealing with substance abuse, call the National Substance Abuse and Mental Health Helpline at 1-800-662-4357 for free and confidential information 24/7.