The exes had struggled for years, but Spelling recently filed to end her 18-year marriage.
Tori Spelling is sharing her side of the story. After the news broke on Friday that the 50-year-old actress had filed for divorce from her husband of 18 years, Dean McDermott, Spelling opened up about the decision on her new podcast, misSPELLING, over the weekend.
"I just filed for divorce. Whoa, I just said the words that I've said in my head for, like, 16 years. Wild," an audibly emotional Spelling shared.
The 90210 star called her ex during the podcast recording to let him know that the filing news had gone public. And while McDermott's side of the conversation could not be heard, Spelling said that McDermott was concerned about the optics of her filing first.
"I feel like I deserve to file first, then. You basically put it all out there with the Daily Mail," she told her ex, referencing a recent interview. "You said everything that you've done to me all through the years. So I think it would make perfect sense that it's followed up with I would file. Because those are things that I would never have divulged to somebody and you did."
Despite the tension, Spelling ended the call telling McDermott, "I love you."
The mother of five admitted, "I've never felt more alone," adding, "I don't feel worth loving."
She went on to recount her early courtship with McDermott, calling it a "fairytale romance."
"Dean and I had this fairytale romance, even though we were both married when we met — not fairytale right there," Spelling admitted. "But we had other partners that we cheated on and left and then we got together."
She said that once they started having kids "our relationship was never the same."
"Everything became focused on the kids and I kind of left him in a way. And I get it. It doesn't excuse his behavior and everything he did," she added.
Noting their marriage should not have lasted 18 years, Spelling recalled telling a friend that she would leave her ex once her kids could unbuckle their own car seats, but then she continued having more children.
But when it came to the "final blow" that happened in June 2023 following a big fight between the couple.
Claiming the now-sober McDermott "had been drinking" Spelling shared the comment her ex made that sent her over the edge.
"He said, 'Ugh, I'm so sick of this. I have been picking up Tori Spelling's s**t for 18 years.' And I f**king lost it," Spelling said.
After this fight, McDermott posted an announcement ending his marriage to Spelling on Instagram. He later deleted the post.
In a November 2023 interview with the Daily Mail, McDermott shared his account of the night, saying, "My worst memory with Tori is that last fight when I was drunk and angry. It was the night that I raged against her and the children and I saw the light, the final flicker of the flame go out in her eyes… I posted that because I was at the end of my rope. I didn't know what to do. I had burned everything down yet again."
Afterwards, McDermott said he "took some more pills, and I took six or seven Ambien in the hopes that I would not wake up."
"Thank God I did. Thank God I did," he said. "Because I would've ruined so many lives if I had died."
The former couple share kids Liam, 17, Stella, 15, Hattie, 12, Finn, 11, and Beau, 7. McDermott is also the father of Jack, 24, from a previous relationship.
Spelling filed for divorce last week. In the docs, which were obtained by ET, Spelling listed her and McDermott's separation as June 17, 2023 (the night of the fight) and notes that irreconcilable differences are the reason for the split. Spelling is requesting spousal support from McDermott and is asking the court to terminate her estranged husband's ability to receive financial support.
Earlier this month, a source told ET that Spelling and McDermott were "in a much better space" as of late.
"Dean has been taking care of himself, which has made it easier for him and Tori to co-parent," the source said. "Dean has been more involved with their kids, and they're all doing well and regrouping as a family."
However, just weeks later, photos surfaced of the pair having an emotional meet up at a storage unit. In pics obtained by ET, Spelling could be seen throwing a bag towards McDermott and crying in her car.
Romantically, both parties have moved on. Spelling is seeing Ryan Cramer, whom she was spotted out with in November, and McDermott is dating Lily Calo.
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