What Happened to Tori Spelling? Power Era After Divorce in 2026

If you watched TV in the ’90s, you knew Tori Spelling as Donna Martin — the sweet, sheltered rich girl on Beverly Hills, 90210, the show her own father produced. For decades she was tabloid royalty: the mogul’s daughter, the reality star, the mom of five whose marriage played out in public. Then came the headlines about money troubles and a long, messy split. So where is Tori Spelling now? In 2026, after finalizing one of the most-covered celebrity divorces in recent memory, she says she’s in her “power era.” Here’s the full picture.

01Profile

Full name

Victoria Davey Spelling

Born

May 16, 1973 (53 years old)

Birthplace

Los Angeles, California, USA

Occupation

Actress, author, podcaster, entrepreneur

Best known for

"Beverly Hills, 90210" (1990–2000) as Donna Martin

Family

Five children; daughter of TV producer Aaron Spelling

Yes, that Spelling. Her father, Aaron Spelling, was one of the most powerful producers in television history — the man behind Dynasty, Charlie’s Angels, and 90210 itself. Being the boss’s daughter brought her fame and a lifetime of having to prove she earned it.

02The Rise: Born Into the Business

Donna Martin graduates

Tori Spelling grew up in one of Hollywood’s most famous mansions and started acting as a kid, popping up in her dad’s shows. But her defining role came in 1990, when she was cast as Donna Martin on Beverly Hills, 90210. The fact that her father produced the show drew plenty of “nepotism” chatter — but Spelling stayed on the series for its entire 10-season run, and Donna became one of the show’s most beloved characters. The “Donna Martin graduates!” storyline is still a pop-culture touchstone.

A working actress

After 90210, Spelling leaned into a self-aware brand of fame. She took roles in TV movies and comedies, frequently playing exaggerated or winking versions of herself, and showed a real sense of humor about her public image. She wasn’t chasing prestige — she was building a career as a familiar, likable TV presence.

Reality TV reinvention

In the 2000s, Spelling pivoted to reality television, where she’d find some of her biggest later-career success. Shows centered on her marriage, her growing family, and her businesses turned her personal life into content — a move that kept her relevant but also blurred the line between her private struggles and public entertainment.

03The Money and the Marriage

Two threads have followed Spelling through the tabloids for years: her finances and her marriage to actor Dean McDermott.

• 2006Her father, Aaron Spelling, dies. Reports widely note she inherited far less than the public assumed, fueling years of speculation about her wealth.
• 2006Marries actor Dean McDermott. The couple goes on to have five children together.
• 2010sTheir marriage and finances become recurring tabloid and reality-TV storylines, including reported tax issues.
• 2023Spelling and McDermott separate after roughly 19 years of marriage.
• 2024Files for divorce; launches the "misSPELLING" podcast to tell her own story.
• November 2025The divorce from McDermott is finalized.

The persistent narrative — that the daughter of a TV mogul struggled with money — became one of the defining storylines of her adult life. Spelling has been candid about financial difficulties over the years, and rather than hide from the topic, she’s increasingly folded it into her own storytelling.

04The Divorce From Dean McDermott

Spelling and McDermott separated in 2023 after nearly two decades together, and the split played out very publicly. According to reporting from outlets including TMZ and E! News, the divorce was finalized in November 2025.

Per the reported settlement, the former couple share joint legal custody of their four minor children, with Spelling having primary physical custody. Court filings cited in the press indicated there would be no child support, with the two splitting their children’s healthcare and extracurricular costs. Reports also noted that Spelling retained her interests in projects including the 90210 revival BH90210 and her misSPELLING podcast.

“I am in my power era.” — Tori Spelling, on life after the divorce

Interestingly, even after finalizing the divorce, both Spelling and McDermott have said publicly that they remain close and still do family dinners together — a notably amicable ending to a split that had been anything but quiet.

05What She Is Doing Now

Building her own brand

As of 2026, Spelling, 53, has described herself as “rebuilding and reinventing.” Rather than relying on a single acting gig, she’s leaned into a personal-brand model — podcasting, business ventures, and content creation — that puts her in control of her own narrative for the first time in a long time.

The “misSPELLING” podcast

A centerpiece of her current work is her misSPELLING podcast, where she talks openly about her life, her career, her marriage, and the tabloid stories that have surrounded her for decades. Taking ownership of her own story — including the unflattering parts — has become her professional north star.

Focused on family, not dating

In interviews tied to the divorce, Spelling has said she isn’t focused on dating, instead pouring her energy into her five children and her businesses. She’s framed this chapter as one about independence and reinvention rather than romance — a deliberate shift after years of having her relationship at the center of her public image.

Still a 90210 presence

Spelling remains tied to the franchise that made her famous, having reprised her 90210 connection through the BH90210 revival and frequent nostalgia-driven appearances. For a generation of viewers, she’s still Donna Martin — and she’s made peace with that being part of her brand.

06Summary

Tori Spelling’s story has always been messier and more human than the “rich mogul’s daughter” caricature suggests. In 2026, she’s out of a long marriage, in charge of her own story, and betting on herself.

After years of being defined by her famous father, her marriage, and the tabloids, Tori Spelling seems determined to define this chapter herself. Whatever you think of the reality-TV era she helped pioneer, betting on your own voice after a very public split takes a certain kind of nerve — and she’s all in.