Tori Spelling and Shannen Doherty on when their friendship 'started drifting apart'

The two co-starred in the hit 90s teen series, "Beverly Hills, 90210."

April 22, 2024, 7:28 PM

Tori Spelling and Shannen Doherty reflected on their longtime friendship, recalling a period when they had a falling out.

The former "Beverly Hills, 90210" co-stars reunited in this week's episode of Doherty's "Let's Be Clear" podcast to discuss their time on the hit 90s teen series as well as trying to figure out "the pivotal moment" that led to the ending of their friendship while working together on the show.

"It's like one minute, we were friends, and then one minute we weren't," said Doherty, who played Brenda Walsh on the show.

In the conversation, Spelling, who portrayed Donna Martin in the series, admitted to being a "swayer" which she said was her "downfall."

PHOTO: Shannen Doherty and Tori Spelling on "Beverly Hills, 90210."
Shannen Doherty and Tori Spelling on "Beverly Hills, 90210."
Mikel Roberts/Sygma via Getty Images

​​"You were always easily swayed," Doherty agreed. "And it was very frustrating for me because I always used to tell you like, 'Yeah, Tor, have an opinion.' Like, you're smart, you're funny, you're talented. I loved you and I respected you and I wanted you to believe in yourself as much as I believed in you."

While trying to remember the "weak point" where Spelling was able "to be swayed," the women came to the conclusion that part of the past friction between their friendship stemmed from Spelling's former boyfriend whom Spelling described as "abusive" and "an addict."

"There was a point, I specifically remember looking at you and saying, 'You have to end it with him, or I'm going to actually kill him. Like — I can't stand by and watch this,'" Doherty recalled the moment during their trip to Mexico together.

Doherty shared that she and Spelling "started drifting apart" after the trip and Spelling didn't break up with her boyfriend at the time, adding, "You stayed and you got tortured for a little bit longer."

The two agreed that the Mexico trip was one of several factors that contributed to their falling out.

PHOTO: Tori Spelling attends the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards in Los Angeles, April 1, 2024. Shannen Doherty poses for a portrait, Oct. 5, 2019, in Beverly Hills.
Tori Spelling attends the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards in Los Angeles, April 1, 2024. Shannen Doherty poses for a portrait in the Getty Images & People Magazine Portrait Studio at Hallmark Channel and American Humanes 2019 Hero Dog Awards, Oct. 5, 2019, in Beverly Hills.
Getty Images

"I can't recall the exact rift but I'm thinking all of those things sort of collided at one time, and maybe it was just so much pressure from other people that you know, the friendship just dissipated," Doherty said. "And then you gravitated towards others."

Meanwhile, Spelling added that when she was young, she "couldn't stand up" for herself.

"It was whoever was the alpha more at the moment would sway me…I didn't take ownership of anything. So it's like, you know, nice, nice, nice to everyone. But it's like you said, have a f–king opinion about something. And I'm sure I did," she said.