Tori Spelling files divorce from estranged husband Dean McDermott, seeks custody of all 5 children
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Tori Spelling has filed for divorce from her estranged husband, Dean McDermott, ten months after they separated and following 18 years of marriage.
Legal documents obtained by TMZ reveal that the 50-year-old star of 'Beverly Hills, 90210' filed for divorce on Friday, March 29, merely three days after Spelling was photographed in tears following an emotionally charged encounter with McDermott.
Tori Spelling demands spousal support and sole custody of five children
The date of the separation according to court documents has been as June 17, 2023, and cites "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for the divorce.
The court filing, as reported by Page Six, indicates that Spelling has sought spousal support and has asked the court to disallow McDermott from receiving similar support.
Spelling also wants sole physical custody of their five minor children Liam Aaron McDermott, 17, Stella Doreen, 15, Hattie Margaret, 12, Finn Davey, 11 and Beau Dean, seven.
She also agrees with McDermott's joint legal custody after visitation rights which she wants to be determined some time later.
It remains uncertain whether a prenuptial agreement was in place. Additionally, the nature and extent of their properties are still to be determined as stated in the filing.
Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott separated the day they announced it on Instagram, but later deleted it
The publication noted the date of separation mentioned in the court filing is the same as when the estranged husband announced it on the Instagram post but later deleted it.
He wrote at the time, “It’s with great sadness and a very very heavy heart that after 18 years together and 5 amazing children, that @torispelling and I have decided to go our separate ways, and start a new journey of our own,” he wrote at the time.
Recently, both individuals have found new partners. McDermott is now dating Lily Calo, and Spelling was seen sharing a kiss with Ryan Cramer, CEO of the Santa Monica-based Neuron Syndicate Incorporated, in November, according to Page Six.
Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott's strained marriage
Spelling and McDermott exchanged vows in a private ceremony in Fiji on May 7, 2006, having met the previous year on the sets of the TV movie 'Mind Over Murder'.
They renewed vows in 2010. However, the couple hit a rough patch following McDermott's publically admitted affair in 2014.
The following years witnessed their relationship getting strained as in 2016, Spelling told People, "We're not just still here, but we're bonded and solidified as a couple," adding, "We had to start over. We had to completely rebuild."
Spelling lived with the fear that McDermott would cheat on her as in 2020 she told the 'Women on Top' podcast, "I was like, 'See, I always thought from day one he was going to cheat on me,' and it wasn't about him, that was about me."
In 2021, the relationship was further strained when McDermott was absent from the Spelling holiday card. That time, as per a source, "Spelling still had “major trust issues” and their relationship was "never fully repaired."
Similarly, McDermott opened up in November 2023, telling the Daily Mail they had been sleeping in separate beds and the marriage was characterized by “anger and…yelling.”
"I couldn’t do it anymore. I couldn’t live that life anymore," he reflected on what led to the brokenness of the marriage.
