Tori Spelling Shares What Her Relationship With Her Famous Father Was Really Like

Tori Spelling is the daughter of Aaron Spelling and his wife Candy. The "Beverly Hills 90210" star grew up in the family's famous 57,000-square-foot mansion, once the largest home in Los Angeles county. Tori lived like a Hollywood princess ... until she met Dean McDermott. People reported that the couple met in Canada in 2005 while shooting "Mind Over Murder," a made-for-TV movie. Tori was married to Charlie Shanian, and Dean was married to Mary Jo Eustace and had two young kids. The Spellings were upset with their daughter, and Tori's folks weren't wild about Dean. However, Tori married Dean anyway in 2006, causing a rift with her parents. Tori's beloved father Aaron died just months after she tied the knot.

Her mom Candy even blamed the estrangement after Tori's wedding for Aaron's death! In a 2009 interview with 94.7 WMAS, Candy said (via Fox News), "It was sad because that's what killed my husband actually. He just didn't want to live after that." In 2021, an inside source told Us Weekly, "Dean doesn't get along with Candy and she's never really approved of him." Then, Tori and Dean made headlines in 2021 surrounding divorce rumors, which did not break the hearts of those close to the iconic actor. An inside source told Page Six in October 2021 that Tori's friends are "surprised [a divorce] didn't happen years ago" and that "no one" is fond of her husband. Yikes.

But now Tori is making headlines for a very poignant reason — her relationship with her father. And as it turns out, their bond was much sweeter than past dramatic headlines made it out to be.

In a new interview published in early February, Tori Spelling said her late father, Aaron Spelling, kept her "grounded." But according to Page Six, Tori's upbringing wasn't exactly the most modest, as she reportedly grew up in a mansion with a whopping 123 rooms. And of course, her father Aaron was the top television executive of his time, producing popular shows like "Melrose Place," "Charlie's Angels," "Dynasty," and "Beverly Hills, 90210."

Even with major fame, apparently Aaron stayed level-headed. "I was born into a Hollywood family, and I think my dad being as huge as he was as a producer — he was so grounded and so humble and so kind," Tori told Fox News in the recent interview. The reality TV star, who shares children with husband Dean McDermott, also tries to pass down what she learned from her dad to her kids. The mom-of-five said she wants to "keep them grounded and humble. We always lead with kindness."

Tori said Aaron was more than her dad, calling him "my mentor in life." The way he treated those around him also had an impact on her. "Seeing how he handled people and how genuine and how much he loved his fans and just anybody," Tori added. "He never changed. I think that kind of transitioned onto me. That's what I saw. That's what I learned."