Dean McDermott broke his silence on the demise of his marriage to Tori Spelling, citing his alcohol use as the primary reason for their split.
“Alcohol made me feel good enough. I started feeling good enough until it got to a point where it didn’t — it ended up in isolation,” McDermott, 56, told the Daily Mail in an interview published on Wednesday, November 15. “It ended up with me drinking a fifth of tequila every night, seven days a week and a handful of [prescription medications] by myself with a beautiful family in the other room.”
He continued: “That’s what it led to and that’s what led to the brokenness and to what happened between me and Tori. I couldn’t do it anymore. I couldn’t live that life anymore. I was tired of the anger and the yelling.”
McDermott further recalled that his alcohol-fueled fights “petrified” both Spelling and their five kids. (They share sons Liam, 16, Finn, 10, and Beau, 6, and daughters Stella, 15, and Hattie, 11. McDermott is also father to son Jack, 25, whom he shares with ex-wife Mary Jo Eustace.)
McDermott — who married Spelling, 50, in 2006 — posted a breakup statement via Instagram in June. Within hours, he deleted his post, and a source told Us Weekly that McDermott and Spelling did not plan to get divorced despite the drama.
McDermott and Spelling had not further addressed their relationship woes prior to his Daily Mail sit-down. In the interview, McDermott claimed that his drinking “started to get out of hand” when he and Spelling were apart. According to the actor, Spelling was spending “most of her time” with their kids.
McDermott ultimately felt “more and more” isolated from their brood, claiming that he and Spelling were more like “roommates” who rarely spent time together — or as a family.
“It made me feel worse because I knew I was a big part of [the problem] and I was at a place where I felt there was nothing I could do about it,” he noted to the outlet. “Add in the fact that we’re not sleeping in the same bed.”
The isolation made McDermott feel “heartbroken” and “depressed” and like he “didn’t want to live.” He reached his breaking point in June.
“I would wake up angry that I woke up and I have these five, six beautiful kids in my life, but I was so dark and hopeless, I couldn’t see that,” McDermott told the Daily Mail, noting Spelling was supportive. “She came from just such a place of love and wanting me to be healthy and happy. … It was codependence. She put my well-being well ahead of hers. She loved me so much that she didn’t really want to tell me how it was affecting her, although I could see it in her face.”
After McDermott deleted his social media breakup post, Spelling encouraged him to go to rehab. He completed a 40-day inpatient program later in the summer, ultimately moving into a sober living facility. McDermott noted that he is currently clean.
McDermott, who hasn’t seen the Beverly Hills, 90210 alum or the kids since June, has since moved on with Lily Calo. Spelling, meanwhile, recently started dating advertising CEO Ryan Cramer.
Regardless of the drama, McDermott doesn’t regret his decades-long relationship. “It was a total fairytale. I mean, it was a beautiful love story,” he gushed. “Love at first sight and getting married in the most beautiful way possible [on a beach in Fiji]. It was a dream come true. And then we had to come back to Hollywood and deal with all the s–t people gave us.”
McDermott concluded: “After we got married, they were all saying, ‘Give it six months.’ Well, so much for six months — we showed you, because it’s been 18 years and five kids.”
If you or anyone you know is facing substance abuse issues, call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357 for free and confidential information 24/7.
