Tori Spelling stopped cooking for nearly two years after splitting from ex-husband Dean McDermott in June 2023.
The Beverly Hills, 90210 actress revealed on her MisSPELLING podcast that making meals became “triggering” following their breakup.
Spelling filed for divorce from McDermott in March 2024 after 18 years of marriage, citing irreconcilable differences.
“Since the divorce, like, I think that’s something that we always did together was cook because cooking, oddly, we would always fight in the kitchen, Dean and I.”
The couple’s different cooking styles often caused tension. McDermott attended culinary school and preferred proper technique, while Spelling described herself as “a DIY home cook.”
“If it’s not messy, it didn’t come from the heart,”
she explained.
McDermott was a “clean up as you go” person who would suggest bigger pots and bowls. Spelling admitted she’d always choose the smallest cooking equipment possible, calling it maybe “a challenge” for herself.
“I don’t like the easy road, clearly … I don’t know. So when we split up, I honestly took like two years off of cooking.”
Instead, Spelling and her five children – Beau, 8, Finn, 12, Hattie, 13, Stella, 17, and Liam, 18 – relied on premade meals and delivery services like Postmates.
She acknowledged this “wasn’t practical” but said she “needed a break.”
“Maybe because our last fight before we broke up took place in the kitchen. Could be that. Maybe.”
The Saved by the Bell star said she’s recently started cooking again and hopes to continue.
Despite their kitchen conflicts, Spelling and McDermott maintain a good co-parenting relationship. She honored him on Father’s Day last month with an Instagram post calling him her “rad co-parent.”
In October, Spelling told PEOPLE they remain “really amicable” despite the divorce.
“I know in Hollywood people think divorces have to be ugly, ours are not. We co-parent really well, we’re good friends, and he’s one of my biggest supporters.”
