Spelling's Emotional Confession
Tori Spelling reveals deeper emotional reaction to Shannen Doherty's passing than her father's death.
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Tori Spelling says she cried more when her co-star Shannen Doherty died in 2024 than when her own father, legendary TV producer Aaron Spelling, passed away in 2006. She made the candid admission on the *Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum* podcast, sparking widespread reaction from fans and media alike WGME.
Spelling was quick to explain the difference. She said grief isn't a contest — and that her father, who died at 83, remains her "hero" whom she thinks about "every single day" Parade.
Why Spelling Held Back Tears for Her Father
When Aaron Spelling died on June 23, 2006, Tori was just 33 years old. She told host Michael Rosenbaum that back then she believed "crying was a sign of weakness" and had "every feeling so repressed." She felt pressure — both internal and external — to simply keep going Parade.
She described herself as a "Daddy's girl" who loved her father deeply. But at the time, she didn't let herself fall apart. She stayed in what she later called a "go on" mode — a coping pattern she also repeated after co-star Luke Perry died at 52 in 2019 Parade.
Doherty's Death Broke Through Spelling's Emotional Walls
Shannen Doherty died on July 13, 2024, at age 53, after a nine-year battle with breast cancer. She was first diagnosed in 2015, announced Stage 4 cancer in 2020, and passed away in Malibu, California KTUL.
For Spelling, this loss hit differently. By 2024, she was older and more emotionally open. She told Rosenbaum that watching friends her own age die forced her to confront her own mortality. "Friends my age are passing," she said. "It's like, 'Wait, this can happen.'" The grief over Doherty was raw and immediate in a way her father's death had not been Parade.
Doherty Gave Spelling a Voice She Never Had on Set
The bond between the two women ran deep. On the set of *Beverly Hills, 90210* — the Fox drama that ran for 10 seasons and 293 episodes starting in 1990 — Tori was seen as the "boss's daughter" due to her father producing the show. She often felt she had no real voice KOMO News.
Doherty, who played Brenda Walsh, took Spelling under her wing. Spelling later said Doherty taught her she was "worthy" and that she had a "voice." That mentorship forged a bond that lasted decades, and its sudden end in 2024 hit Spelling with a grief she was no longer willing to suppress News3LV.
Aaron Spelling's Legacy Looms Large Despite the Tears
Aaron Spelling was one of TV's most prolific producers, with 218 producer credits to his name. His estate was valued at roughly $600 million at his death. Tori famously received only $800,000 — about 0.13% of the total — while her mother Candy received the bulk of the fortune Bakersfieldnow.
Despite those complicated family dynamics, Spelling was firm on the podcast: her father is still her hero. Grief experts note that crying more for one person does not mean loving another less. Spelling's own words back that up — she said she thinks about her father every single day Parade.
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