Inside Tori Spelling's Post-Divorce Relationship With Ex Dean McDermott

Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott's turbulent relationship timeline officially ended in March 2024, with her filing for divorce after 18 years of marriage. The court documents shared by Page Six revealed that the "Beverly Hills, 90210" alum cited "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for their split, which occurred on June 17, 2023. As the former spouses figured out a custody agreement for their five children, Spelling offered an update on their co-parenting relationship during an April episode of her "misSPELLING" podcast. 

The author confessed that her kids weren't mentally prepared to see their father after their split, so she went to visit him in rehab by herself. Unfortunately, their conversation didn't go well, as she recalled, "There was still a lot of anger and aggression, and so I didn't go back. And I know that hurt him a lot. He felt like we abandoned him when he was going through that process." Their chat convinced her that the "Open Range" actor needed more time to heal, so she kept their children apart from him for longer. 

However, as McDermott got better in rehab, so did his co-parenting relationship with his ex-wife, and he started seeing his kids more frequently. During an October 2024 chat with People, Spelling confirmed they remained on good terms, saying, "I know in Hollywood people think divorces have to be ugly, ours [is] not. We co-parent really well, we're good friends, and he's one of my biggest supporters." Their amicable relationship is even more impressive, considering their messy divorce.

According to court documents obtained by People, Tori Spelling strived to get sole physical and joint legal custody over the five kids she shares with Dean McDermott. It was obvious that the Canadian actor disagreed with her filing because he demanded joint legal and physical custody over their kids in May 2024. He also argued that their separation occurred on July 7, 2023 and not on June 17, as she claimed in her documents. 

Before their custody battle officially began, Spelling posted an episode of her "misSPELLING" podcast, where she recalled that she got into an explosive fight with McDermott in June 2023. The "90210" alum remembered that things got so frustrating that she screamed in an almost animalistic manner and threw a baked potato onto the floor. Almost immediately, Spelling felt that she crossed a line, so she locked herself in the bedroom while McDermott banged on another door. Eventually, he reached the bedroom through a backdoor and told his wife he wanted a divorce. 

Spelling confessed that her husband's decision to end their 18-year marriage filled her with "relief." During another episode of the "misSPELLING" podcast, she confessed that she ignored all the signs that her marriage to McDermott spelled trouble. For instance, the mother-of-five asserted that McDermott got surges of anger after drinking that caused him to be infuriated by pretty much everything she said and forced her to do mental gymnastics to ensure she could quell his mood.