Why Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott Realized ‘Divorce Is What’s Best for Everyone’
Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott have weathered many storms during their marriage — and Spelling's recent divorce filing hasn’t appeared to sour their relationship.
“Tori and Dean are still cordial,” a source exclusively tells Us Weekly after Spelling, 50, filed for divorce on Friday, March 29.
Spelling and McDermott, 57, have “been together so long and tried for so long so it’s difficult [to cut ties],” the insider tells Us of the exes’ choice to make their split legal by filing divorce documents with a Los Angeles court on Friday.
“At the end of the day, they realized divorce is what’s best for everyone,” the source adds.
Spelling, for her part, addressed the divorce during the Monday, April 1, episode of her new “Misspelling” podcast, confessing, “There were definitely red flags” with McDermott during their marriage. She claimed, “He had anger issues, and that started when we were dating four months in,” but she wanted the “fairy tale romance” so she didn’t leave him earlier.
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McDermott, meanwhile, told the Daily Mail on Monday, that he and Spelling “are good” and their divorce was a “long time coming.”
Despite having a “tumultuous” past, Spelling and McDermott are “getting along now,” the insider says, explaining that their 2023 separation has helped them grow.
“They’re the best they’ve ever been in the last five years in terms of communication. There is a friendship at their core,” the source continues, pointing out, “There aren’t any secrets or lies anymore.”
The actress and her estranged husband are currently “working together as a team for their family and acting very mature with one another,” the insider shares, adding that both Spelling and McDermott have made “huge leaps with each other.”
The former couple are “more open and honest” and no longer “trying to hurt each other, knowing their kids have been affected by their breakup,” the source tells Us. “They’re listening to each other now. And they’re united for the first time in a long time and on the same page.”
The Beverly Hills, 90210 alum and McDermott have remained “committed to each other for the kids,” the insider says, noting that “the fact that Dean is sober has had a positive impact on the family.”
The source adds, “They want to lead happy lives and support each other as healthy coparents.”
Spelling and McDermott share five children: sons Liam, 17, Finn, 11, and Beau, 7, and daughters Stella, 15, and Hattie, 12. McDermott is also the father of son Jack, 25, whom he shares with ex-wife Mary Jo Eustace.
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McDermott initially announced his split from Spelling via Instagram in June 2023 but later deleted the post. He confirmed their separation in November 2023, telling the Daily Mail that his dependence on alcohol led to “isolation” from his family and loved ones.
After seeking treatment for his addiction — and moving to a sober living house — McDermott was able to strengthen his dynamic with Spelling. However, they never rekindled their romance, and Spelling confirmed in her March divorce filing that their date of separation was June 17, 2023.
Earlier this month, Spelling raised eyebrows after she was photographed crying in her car following a meeting with McDermott at a storage facility. The insider tells Us that the pictures are not indicative of the estranged couple’s current status.
“They are getting along,” the source explains. “They’re both happy in their individual lives and relationships.”
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McDermott, meanwhile, credited Spelling as his “biggest supporter” and his “biggest fan” in his sobriety journey. “She just wants me to be happy, bottom line, and she’s such an incredible woman that way,” he told Page Six on March 13.
McDermott also said that his girlfriend, Lily Calo, has been a “great support” after they began dating in October 2023. “We check in with each other every day and keep each other accountable,” he explained.
Spelling also moved on romantically with Ryan Cramer in fall 2023.
“There’s no jealousy. They just want each other to be happy and healthy,” the source tells Us, noting that Spelling and McDermott have met each other’s new significant others. “They’re both on to their next chapters in their lives and happy for one another.”
With reporting by Andrea Simpson
