Luke Perry confronted Tori Spelling's BF in Christmas party brawl over how he treated her, claims new book

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: A new book is shedding light on a dramatic showdown between Luke Perry and Tori Spelling's then-boyfriend, Nick Savalas, at a Christmas party hosted by the Spelling family in the mid-1990s.

Margaret Wappler's upcoming release, 'A Good Bad Boy: Luke Perry and How a Generation Grew Up', delves into the turbulent off-screen dynamics of the Beverly Hills 90210 cast.

Luke Perry's fight with Tori Spelling's boyfriend uncovered

The incident unfolded at the lavish Spelling family mansion in Los Angeles, where Perry, portraying Dylan McKay on the hit show, confronted Savalas over his treatment of Spelling. Perry, known for his protective nature towards his co-star, declared, "I love her, and you should not be in her life," sparking a physical altercation between the two men.

Months later, Perry organized an intervention with the 90210 cast to persuade Spelling to end her relationship with Savalas, whom she described as verbally abusive. Despite initial resistance, Spelling eventually broke free from Savalas's toxic grip, with Perry playing a pivotal role in her liberation.

Wappler reports that Spelling's tortured love life was the real drama behind 90210's gritty plots.

According to Wappler, a journalist who has written for the Los Angeles Times and Rolling Stone, Spelling dated Savalas when she played Donna Martin on the show.

Spelling later called Savalas a "nightmare" who was "verbally abusive, telling me 10 times a day how ugly I was."

Also, she suspected he cheated on her, stole money from her, and persuaded her to buy a Porsche Carrera, which she totaled a week later. But in 1995, Spelling, still under Savalas' spell, invited him to her family's Christmas party where the 90210 cast attended.

Wappler wrote that Spelling stuck with Savalas because "wealth didn't inure Tori from an unhealthy family culture that left her feeling inadequate and lonely."

She added, "Aaron and Candy loved their daughter, but they eschewed honest conversation, and often handled conflict with letters or the silent treatment. Their distaste for Nick was clear from their pained faces, but they never spoke of it to Tori."

Perry, haunted by his own abusive father, confronted Savalas at the Spelling family's lavish Christmas gathering, expressing his concern for Spelling's well-being. Perry 'longed to avenge his mother' so he 'didn't hold back.'

According to Wappler: "They punched and shoved each other, brawling dangerously close to the eighteen-foot Christmas tree, its weighted boughs threatening to drop pinecone-sized ornaments gleaming in gold."

The confrontation escalated into a physical altercation, with Perry and Savalas engaging in a brawl dangerously close to the towering Christmas tree, evoking scenes reminiscent of a dramatic TV episode.

Despite Perry's intentions to protect Spelling, she reacted with anger towards him in the aftermath of the incident, screaming that she 'hated him.' However, Perry's actions ultimately sparked a positive resolution. Months later, he orchestrated an intervention with the cast of '90210,' urging Spelling to break free from Savalas's toxic influence. This intervention marked a turning point for Spelling, leading her to recognize Savalas as an abuser and sever ties with him for good.

Tragically, Perry passed away in 2019 at the age of 52, leaving behind a legacy of resilience and compassion.

Luke Perry and Shannen Doherty's on-screen chemistry rooted in off-screen struggles

In Margaret Wappler's 'A Good Bad Boy', revelations about the behind-the-scenes dynamics of 'Beverly Hills, 90210' shed light on the on-screen chemistry between Luke Perry and Shannen Doherty, whose characters shared a romantic storyline on the iconic show.

Contrary to their characters' passionate romance, Perry and Doherty initially struggled to find common ground off-screen. Doherty, a seasoned child star, approached her work with a last-minute memorization technique, often mastering her lines just before filming. In contrast, Perry, relatively unknown at the time, preferred a 'first take best take' approach, which occasionally led to inconsistencies in his performances.

According to Charles Rosin, the showrunner for '90210', Perry's improvisational acting style posed challenges for editors, who grappled with stitching together his varied takes. Larry Mollin, a writer for the show during its college years, described the relationship between Perry and Doherty off-screen as 'frosty,' suggesting tension between the two actors.

Despite their initial difficulties, Perry didn't shy away from addressing issues with Doherty directly. In one instance, he famously kicked down her dressing room door to confront her about their working relationship. However, over time, the pair managed to reconcile their differences, with Perry stating that he no longer needed to avoid Doherty on set. Instead, he adopted a straightforward approach, addressing any concerns he had directly with her.