Tori Spelling is the daughter of one of Hollywood’s biggest producers, but her life hasn’t been easy by any means. The “Beverly Hills, 90210” star has a tumultuous relationship with her mom, Candy Spelling, and when her father, Aaron Spelling, died, she was left with a paltry $800,000 of his sizable multi-million dollar fortune. After divorcing her first husband, Charlie Shanian, Tori went on to marry fellow actor Dean McDermott, and the two welcomed five kids with him — Liam, Stella, Hattie, Finn, and Beau. Unfortunately, their lives have been riddled with problems as well, which sadly include bullying and dealing with their parents’ split.
After almost 18 years together and many ups and downs, Tori filed for divorce in March 2024. According to the legal documents, she requested physical custody of their kids — as well as alimony. The case is still ongoing, and along with a battle between Tori and McDermott, their five children have gone through several heartbreaking moments.
Tori Spelling’s kids are in the middle of a custody battle
Tori Spelling’s split from Dean McDermott has been messy since the beginning, and things got even more contentious after she filed for divorce. Following Spelling’s request for custody and spousal support, McDermott retaliated by asking for joint custody and alimony from his estranged wife, Page Six reported. Both listed “irreconcilable differences” as the cause of their divorce. All of their five kids are minors at the time of this writing, with their eldest, Liam, being 17. Stella has about three years before becoming an adult, and Spelling’s youngest, Beau, is only 7.
While it can’t be easy for the kids to see their parents duking it out in court, the “So Notorious” star shared with E! News in April, “The kids are doing well and Dean is doing well. We’re all hanging in.” She went on to say, “We’ll always be a family. Whether there’s a title on it or not so, it’s just time to move forward.”
Tori Spelling’s kids were made fun of for living in an RV
Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott’s legal issues have plagued them for years, and it seemed as if their divorce left them with nothing. In August 2023, the New York Post caught Spelling and her children living out of a motor home. As the family hung outside the RV park surrounded by camping gear, it was clear that it wasn’t just a day trip. In fact, they all had to vacate their home due to hazardous mold, and the RV was a cheap option. “Tori has been struggling monetarily speaking. The mold situation is real, but it has been difficult for her to find a place to stay during it because her financial situation is not great. Tori is doing her best to make things work and take care of her kids,” a source told ET.
Sadly, Spelling shared on her podcast “misSpelling” that the photos of them camping caused Stella’s classmates to tease her and wonder if she was homeless. “My daughter is like, ‘People already talk about us at school. They know you, and they know the family, and they read the press,'” the “Mystery Girls” actor recalled. “She had someone come up to her at school and ask, ‘Are you in the school district, or where does your RV park? Because you live in an RV with your mom, right?'” she shared, adding, “She was shamed.”
Tori Spelling’s kids had health problems from mold
As if Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott’s divorce wasn’t hard enough, their kids were unknowingly suffering the effects of mold in their house for months. In a May 2023 Instagram post, Spelling shared that her five kids had been continually sick but thought it was just due to being around germs at school. “Kids will be kids but when you have your youngest (10 and 6) so sick they are sleeping all day and say they feel dizzy even standing I knew something bigger was going on. Enter Mold inspection!” she wrote. After taking the kids to Urgent Care to get all of her kids checked, Spelling found out that her son Finn had strep throat and a fever. “It’s hard to just uproot a huge family especially in midst of all feeling so sick and in bed. But, we now will vacate the home asap. Looking for an @airbnb or @vrbo or hotel till we can even grasp what to do,” she added.
The mold drama didn’t end there. The following month, Spelling asks fans in an Instagram story for advice on where to get further testing for herself and her kids, according to Fox News. “Anyone know a MRI place in the San Fernando Valley/or Los Angeles area that does 3TMRI brain scans (not 1.5) as well as neuroquant? We need to get this for our family bc of the mold poisoning.” Hopefully, the family’s health is under control now that they’re away from the toxic environment.
Tori Spelling’s oldest kids Liam and Stella were bullied in school
In a heartbreaking post shared in February 2020, Tori Spelling revealed, “My two 1st born… they have been thru so much bullying I can no longer not share and express ourselves.” At the time, her daughter Stella was 11 years old and had been bullied since elementary school. When Spelling transferred her to another school, she was bullied by another boy, yet again. “This school did the right thing and expelled the boy but the damage had been done. She now associates her education with boys that have been so horrific to her,” the “Uncharted Territori” author wrote. Spelling continued to share that her son, Liam was bullied in the same school as Stella and started getting stomachaches and headaches from the emotional pain. “This school (who did help with Stella’s situation) did not help with Liams. He continued to be bullied so bad we had to leave,” she stated.
In 2021, Spelling celebrated a win for Stella and shared images from her first modeling shoot. “Stella is an amazing human. Heart of gold & always leads w/kindness. She’s innovative &creative and full of fire. Which is why as a mom it was so painful to see a young woman’s fire dimmed bc of bullying,” she penned. After Stella had a horrible experience with her former principal, the modeling gig gave her a much-needed boost. “Her confidence now soaring! Your fire is back @stella_mcdermott08 You are a fierce female. So proud of U Buggy!” Spelling gushed.
Two of Tori Spelling’s kids underwent a scary hospitalization
It seems Tori Spelling’s kids have neverending health issues. In January 2023, the actor shared in an Instagram Story (via Page Six) that her daughter Stella was back home after a hospital stay. She revealed, “At the ER, she was diagnosed with a Hemiplegic Migraine. It’s a condition that affects one side of the body. Signs of a Hemiplegic Migraine attack are similar to what would be presented in a stroke, that typically includes sudden severe headache on one side of the brain, weakness, and numbness on one half of the body.” Despite the life-altering diagnosis, Spelling expressed relief at now knowing what Stella’s condition was and thanked the medical staff for their immense help.
Later that year, Spelling’s son Liam faced another health crisis and had to have surgery on his foot. In an Instagram Story shared by Us Weekly, the mom of five told fans, “To everyone that’s asked…Liam fell down the stairs at home and has been in pain and immobile since 6 weeks + Liam’s navicular accessory fractured bone in right foot needed to be removed and then tendon reattached to his main bone with a metal hook rod.” She continued, “It’s going to be a long journey but we take it day by day.”
