On October 4 1990, Fox introduced the world to a show that would go on to beget one of the network’s most successful franchises of all time: Beverly Hills 90210. The teen drama, created by Darren Star, followed the lives of a group of wealthy teenagers living in the upscale neighborhood of Beverly Hills, California, and their experiences at West Beverly Hills High School.
The show was an instant hit, resonating especially with young viewers who were captivated by the characters’ glamorous lifestyles, romantic relationships, and family drama. That is not to say that it was all smooth sailing for the cast and crew. The show’s set was said to have been quite a toxic environment.
Things are said to have been strained from the very first day of work, but especially came to a head when co-stars Jennie Garth and Shannen Doherty got into a fight on set. This altercation set in motion a series of events that would culminate in the latter being fired from the show. Other cast members included Jason Priestley, Luke Perry, Ian Ziering, Brian Austin Green, and Tori Spelling.
This was just one of the many surprising things that happened on the set of Beverly Hills 90210. Yet not many of those would eclipse the drama between the two co-stars which saw Doherty sacked. At the center of that entire episode was their other colleague, Tori Spelling.
What Exactly Happened Between Jennie Garth And Shannen Doherty?
For years, it had never been certain in the public arena that an actual fight happened between Jennie Garth and Shannen Doherty. That was until 2019, when the former featured in an episode of Watch What Happens Live! With Andy Cohen. In the cameo, she spoke about having frequent disagreements with Doherty. She also revealed that when they got at each other, it would be Tori Spelling playing the role of reconciler.
“I’m a midwestern girl and I spent some time in Glendale, Arizona, and that makes me tough,” Garth said, giving some context to her abrasive nature on the set of Beverly Hills 90210. “We’re just both very strong Aries women who don’t back down no matter what.”
Despite their constant quarrels, it was only one time that they literally came to blows. Garth blamed it on their young age and lack of maturity at the time. “I can only remember one incident, and that’s when we took it outside,” she told Cohen and his audience. “We were young and so stupid.”
Tori Spelling Caused Shannen Doherty To Be Fired From Beverly Hills 90210
On the many occasions when Jennie Garth and Shannen Doherty were at each other’s throats, Tori Spelling would step in as the peacemaker. This ended on the day that her two co-stars fought literally, and she instead became Doherty’s would-be executioner. Spelling held a unique advantage on the set of Beverly Hills 90210, because her father Aaron was one of the main producers on the show.
When the fight broke out between Garth and Doherty, she asked the male cast members on set to break it up, presumably because she wasn’t in a position to stop an actual, physical fight. However, she took things one step further and informed her father of the incident. Given her history with her two friends and colleagues, it is not clear whether she did so with the intent to have one of them fired.
Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened, as Aaron Spelling decided to let go of Doherty. In a separate interview with Entertainment Weekly, Garth refuted that there had been blows exchanged, but said: “Scratching? I’m not going to deny that.”
Tori Spelling Regrets Getting Shannen Doherty Fired From Beverly Hills 902010
Whatever her motive was at the time she spoke to her father about Shannen Doherty and Jenni Garth’s fight, Tori Spelling is very clear about where she stands on the issue today. Speaking to Us Weekly in 2015, she expressed deep regret that her actions led to someone losing her job. She also suggested that peer pressure might have played a part in the decision she made back then.
“I remember… I could hear the door fly open and everyone screaming and crying. That’s when I was told the boys just had to break up Jennie and Shannen. It was like a fistfight,” Spelling said, recalling what went down between the pair. “I felt like I was a part of something, a movement, that cost someone their livelihood… Was she a horrible person? No. She was one of the best friends I ever had.”
Doherty’s career after Beverly Hills 90210 did not soar, perhaps not helped by the bad girl rep she took with her from the show. Still, she has managed to work enough to forge a more-than-decent living, with her current net worth estimated to be about $5 million.
