Doherty and Spelling co-starred on ‘Beverly Hills, 90210’ from 1990 to 1994.
Shannen Doherty and Tori Spelling are shedding light on the challenges in their friendship.
Spelling recently visited Doherty’s “Let’s Be Clear” podcast, where they fondly recalled their adventurous nights out in Hollywood and the shared laughter, before delving into the reasons behind the strain in their relationship.
During a recent flight back from Pittsburgh, the two reminisced and attempted to pinpoint the “turning point” that led to their friendship’s dissolution. Doherty highlighted the moment, prompting Spelling to acknowledge her tendency to sway in relationships, which she admits has been a recurring issue for her.
“You were always so easily influenced. It was frustrating for me because I admired you—I always encouraged you to have your own voice. I saw your intelligence, your humor, your talent. I cared about you deeply, respected you, and wanted you to have the same confidence in yourself that I had in you. But then, seeing you sway, and our friendship falling apart… When we were on that plane, trying to figure out what went wrong, I just reached a point where I couldn’t keep battling for us. And I think it had to do with your boyfriend.”
At the time, both Doherty and Spelling were in relationships that they now acknowledge “weren’t great” and both had “a lot of issues.” Interestingly, their boyfriends formed a friendship, which Spelling observed as being more supportive to each other than they were to them.
Doherty suggested that Spelling’s boyfriend may have caused a divide between them due to alleged abuse, both physically and verbally, and she couldn’t stand by while her friend suffered.
“I recall a moment vividly when we were in Mexico with our boyfriends. You called me in tears from your room, and when you came to mine, I looked you in the eye and said, ‘You need to leave him, or I’ll do it for you. I can’t watch this.’ But you didn’t end things, and you endured more pain. That was when our friendship began to drift apart.”
While this was a significant factor, Doherty also noted a few interactions with the rest of the “90210” cast that may have contributed to tension between her and Spelling. They co-starred on the show from 1990 to 1994, until Doherty’s departure.
Throughout their conversation, Doherty emphasized their sister-like bond and expressed surprise at the abrupt end of their friendship, stating, “One moment we were friends, and the next we weren’t.” She attributed this sudden shift to the cast’s reluctance to confront Spelling directly, resulting in them directing their frustrations towards her.
“We were always together, so if one of us was late, the other was late,” Doherty recalled. “Some of the cast members didn’t appreciate that, which I understand. However, I bore the brunt of it because they wouldn’t confront the producer’s daughter.”
Doherty recounted two instances where Spelling yielded to pressure from other cast members and failed to support her, including disagreements over what to purchase as a Christmas gift for the crew. While most of the cast favored buying a van to donate to charity in the crew’s name, Doherty advocated for a more practical gift.
“I remember that moment vividly,” Spelling admitted. “I felt torn because everyone was pressuring me to take a side, and I didn’t understand why. It was like me against everyone else, and I was young, but you know what? Throw that. I let myself be influenced too easily. It’s not about age; it’s about taking responsibility. I bought into it. Maybe I thought, ‘Yeah, a van sounds good.’ But deep down, I didn’t want the van. We discussed it, and I wasn’t in favor of it.”
Doherty proceeded to recount another tense moment with the cast, sparked by her appearance on the cover of Rolling Stone alongside Luke Perry and Jason Priestley.
She revealed that certain cast members, including Spelling, criticized her decision to do the cover without the entire cast, suggesting she should have declined the opportunity from Rolling Stone.
Notably, this critique wasn’t directed at the male cast members. Spelling promptly apologized for her involvement in the criticism, acknowledging her discomfort but admitting she struggled to advocate for Doherty.
“I couldn’t do it. I’m sorry. I just couldn’t,” Spelling expressed. “Even now, at 50, I find it difficult to stand up for myself.”
Reflecting on her younger self, Spelling admitted that she tended to be swayed by whoever seemed more dominant in the moment. “I couldn’t assert myself. I didn’t take ownership of my opinions,” she confessed. “I was all about being nice to everyone. But as you said, having a damn opinion is important. I’m sure I had opinions, but I didn’t vocalize them.”
