Why Tori Spelling Had More of an ‘Emotional Outward Reaction’ to Shannen Doherty’s Death Than Her Father’s
Tori Spelling is reflecting on Shannen Doherty’s death nearly two years after her passing — revealing why it affected her differently than when she grieved the loss of her father, Aaron Spelling.
“I had more of an emotional … outward reaction when Shan passed than my own father,” Tori, 53, said during the Tuesday, June 30, episode of the “Inside of You With Michael Rosenbaum” podcast.
Tori’s father, a Hollywood legend, died in June 2006 when he was 83. Doherty, who was Tori’s costar on Beverly Hills, 90210 — which Aaron executive produced — was 53 when she died in July 2024 following a battle with breast cancer.
When asked why she wasn’t more emotional when her father died, Tori explained she was “younger” at the time. “I mean, it was 20 years ago,” she said.
Related: Tori Spelling Pens Emotional Tribute to ‘90210’ Costar Shannen Doherty
Tori Spelling has found the words to remember her Beverly Hills, 90210, costar Shannen Doherty. “F–k them … is what Shan would say if I told her I felt pressure to have to summarize via social media a 36 year relationship and the grief I feel for a fire who’s flame went out too soon,” […]“I think I had every feeling so repressed. I didn’t know how to deal with my feelings that in my mind it was, like, you just go on,” Tori recalled of Aaron’s passing.
The Mystery Girls alum noted that her dad “was everything to me” and she was a total “daddy’s girl,” so she tried not to let the grief derail her.
“I mean, he’s still my hero and I think about him every single day in my life,” Tori said of her Emmy-winning father.
Tori added that when her Beverly Hills, 90210 castmate Luke Perry died in March 2019 at 52 following a stroke, she still wasn’t ready to be outwardly emotional.
“I was still in my mode of go on, go on. I was like, inside, ‘Just go, you gotta keep going,’” she recalled, adding that she put on a “strong front” when Perry passed.
Tori revealed that “it was only when Shan passed, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I can’t stop crying.’ And this is so un-me.”
Related: Jennie Garth Felt ‘Very Fearful’ After Luke Perry, Shannen Doherty’s Deaths
Getty Images (3) Jennie Garth reflected on the deaths of her Beverly Hills, 90210 costars Luke Perry and Shannen Doherty, revealing how it’s affected her outlook on life. “It made me feel very fearful, especially just with Luke dying and now Shannen,” Garth, 52, told Tori Spelling during the Monday, July 22, episode of their […]While Tori said she grew up “thinking crying was a sign of weakness,” Doherty’s death hit her like a ton of bricks.
“It was this thing — and maybe it’s because we’re getting older and you start to think of your own mortality and what’s going to happen — and it’s like, ‘Wait, friends my age are passing and this can happen.’ That was a hard one,” the mother of five explained.
Tori became friends with both Perry and Doherty on the set of Beverly Hills, 90210, which ran from 1990 to 2000.
The trio played high school pals, Donna Martin, Dylan McKay and Brenda Walsh, respectively, alongside Jennie Garth, Jason Priestley, Ian Ziering, Brian Austin Green and Gabrielle Carteris, who portrayed Kelly Taylor, Brandon Walsh, Steve Sanders, David Silver and Andrea Zuckerman, on the series.
During the podcast, Tori recalled her friendships changing with the cast as they grew up and worked on separate projects. That was the case between her and Doherty, who was fired from the hit teen drama after season 4. (Doherty later worked with Tori’s father again on Charmed from 1998 to 2001.)
“Shannen and I were best friends and then we weren’t. Neither of us really knew why,” Tori remembered.
Related: Tori Spelling Recalls 'Guttural Soul' Laughs With Late Shannen Doherty
Tori Spelling is continuing to remember Shannen Doherty in the days following her death. “We made each other laugh to the core,” Spelling, 51, wrote via her Instagram Story on Tuesday, July 16. “Full on guttural soul laughs.” Alongside the message, Spelling shared a throwback photo of the pair laughing and another where Doherty grabbed […]Luckily, as adults, the actresses reunited for fan conventions and rekindled their friendship before she passed.
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Deal Alert! This 44%-Off Throw-On Mini Dress Is Too Good to Leave in Your Cart View Deal“And that meant so much to me and to her,” Tori said.
Tori noted that she attended the one-year anniversary of Doherty’s death celebration, which brought back all of the “memories and tears.”
“That was beautiful. I got to see her mom again and see her friends,” Tori added.
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Aaron Spelling
Shannen Doherty
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Beverly Hills 90210
Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
