The Complete Evolution Of Tori Spelling

Tori Spelling's career spans decades. She had a string of small TV and film roles in the '80s, but she rose to fame in the '90s, portraying Donna Martin on the hit drama "Beverly Hills, 90210" from 1990 to 2000. While she's never exactly been lauded as an actor — as Variety graciously puts it, Spelling is "not a world-historically great thespian" — she's been a prolific performer, with more than 60 acting credits on her resume.

Even people who never tuned in to see Spelling on "Beverly Hills, 90210" have probably heard her name before. She's made headlines for everything from family feuds to money woes and, at times, the tabloid stories have outweighed her acting work. She's still doing plenty of that, though, notably in made-for-TV movies such as "Family Plan," "Mind Over Murder," and "The Mistle-Tones" She also reprised the role of Donna on "90210" and "BH90210." It's been a long journey for Tori Spelling — here's a closer look at how she's transformed over the years.

Tori Spelling had a seemingly charmed childhood, but most of the pampering came from her dad, Aaron Spelling. Aaron indulged his daughter, and the two had a close relationship, but the same couldn't be said for Spelling's relationship with her mother, Candy. As the actor explained to ABC, even as a young girl she felt like something between her and her mother was not quite right.

Spelling revealed that her father was supportive of her, but her mother was not. "Even when I was young, I just knew, I knew from the beginning it was just, it was complicated," she admitted.

In her memoir, "sTORI Telling," Spelling wrote about how her father "doted" on her, and it seems his love for his daughter may have driven something of a wedge between mother and daughter. She wrote about her father telling her he loved her "more than anything in the world," saying, "I love you more than [your] Mommy."

Landing the role of Donna on "Beverly Hills, 90210" was huge for Tori Spelling's acting career, but it wasn't without its sacrifices. Spelling was just 16 years old when she landed the career-making part, writing in "sTORI Telling," "so for better or for worse, I grew up on the show." Focusing on her career also meant forgoing a normal adolescence and young adulthood, something that Spelling has expressed some regrets over. "It kind of sucked that I didn't get to go to college," she admitted in her memoir.

Becoming a TV star also meant that Spelling had to grow up pretty fast. Being on "Beverly Hills, 90210" provided her with a steady income, which resulted in her becoming independent at a young age. "I had a hit TV series, so I didn't really need [my parents] for anything," she told ABC.

Tori Spelling met her first husband, Charlie Shahnaian, a couple of years after "Beverly Hills, 90210" wrapped. Per Heavy, Shahnaian is a writer and actor, and he met his bride when she was starring in a play of his called "Maybe Baby, It's You." The two tied the knot in 2004, but their marriage only lasted for 15 months; Shahnaian filed for divorce after the news broke that Spelling was reportedly having an affair with fellow actor Dean McDermott, but it was Spelling who left him first.

"She picked a fight with me at a party, told me she needed 'time and space,' and was gone before I could comprehend what had happened," Shahnaian told GQ in 2007 (via People). Shahnaian claimed that Spelling's therapist told him she married him for security. Shahnaian recalled being told that Spelling didn't want to have kids with him and that "she'd only married me because I loved her and took care of her; she had purposefully shown me only 10 percent of her true personality."

As noted by Closer Weekly, Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott welcomed their first child, Liam, in 2007 — one year after they got married. Over the years, they've welcomed four other children: Stella, Hattie, Finn, and Beau. Spelling is also stepmom to McDermott's adult son, Jack McDermott.

Being a working mom hasn't always been easy for Spelling, but she's committed to her kids. In an interview with People, she said she struggles with being a mom trying to do everything herself. She said this is due to her own upbringing, as she had a nanny to care for her growing up, which made her determined to "do it all myself" once she had kids of her own. "So I still do it all, but I'm still working on that," she said. "It's okay to ask for help."

It's not surprising, then, that Spelling struggles with mom guilt, saying, "[Parents] put so much pressure and guilt ourselves that I think expectations are too hard."

Tori Spelling's money troubles have become the stuff of Hollywood legend. While she had a privileged upbringing and became financially independent as a teenager, she's often struggled financially — in large part because of her difficulties with managing her money. She wrote about her extravagant spending habits in "sTORI Telling," detailing a youth spent living the high life. Her mother, Candy Spelling, once told The New York Times that the actor could easily "drop $50,000 to $60,000" on a shopping spree.

After "Beverly Hills, 90210" wrapped, she found herself in deep credit card debt, to the point that she almost had to declare bankruptcy, too proud to ask her wealthy family for help. "Bad shopping habits die hard," she told ABC in 2008. "In all honesty, I grew up a certain way. I never had to worry about money ... that was my reality."

Three years later, she was forced to sell her home at a loss. Her reality show, "Tori and Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood," was canceled not long after, leaving the family in a difficult financial situation. Spelling had to confront her spending habits once and for all. "I look back at that girl who shopped at Gucci in my 20s, and I can't even relate," she wrote in her book "Spelling It Like It Is" (via USA Today). "I can't believe I thought it was important."

Tori Spelling's distant relationship with her mother didn't get much better in adulthood. The rift became highly publicized after Aaron Spelling's death, and it seemed like Spelling and her mom would remain permanently cold. While things with her mother were strained for some time, Spelling and Candy are now on much better terms. In 2008, Spelling told ABC that the two love each other, adding, "We don't have an easy relationship. I don't think we ever will, but I'd rather have a complicated, misunderstood relationship than have no relationship at all."

More than a decade later, in 2019, Spelling confirmed that things between her and her mother were still going well. "It's good, really good right now," she said on an episode of "Watch What Happens Live" (via People).

Candy also has a solid relationship with her grandchildren, telling People she even set up trust funds for them while she and her daughter were still estranged, proving that, in spite of their differences, the love between the two women runs deep. 

In June 2023, Dean McDermott announced that he and Tori Spelling were ending their 18-year relationship. "We will continue to work together as loving parents and guide and love our children through this difficult time," he wrote in a now-deleted Instagram post (via People). "We ask that you all respect our privacy as we take this time to surround our family with love and work our way through this."

While the removal of the post may have made fans hopeful for a reunion between the couple, the announcement came after years of divorce rumors, and a source confirmed to People that the relationship is kaput, saying, "He took down the post because Tori didn't want him to keep it up. But he's packing his bags and is 100% serious about it." Another source, however, told US Weekly that the two will work out their issues, claiming, "They love each other and are not going to split."

Spelling kept quiet following the bombshell announcement and the ensuing drama, but The Daily Mail reported a few days after the post was made that she had been spotted pulling up to a friend's house with her kids, suitcases in tow.