Jennie Garth got candid about how her 2012 divorce from Twilight star Peter Facinelli left a devastating impact on her mental health and led to substance abuse issues. The 54-year-old shared with People that she was forced to have her stomach pumped after self-medicating with alcohol and pills one night following her divorce, which led to a stint at the Canyon Ranch rehab center.
“I spent a good amount of years being hurt, sad, just tormented by it, and it eked out into all aspects of my life,” Jennie said of her split from Peter.
“I noticed my light really dimming. I wasn’t putting off good vibes. I could see it in the mirror. I could look at the negative impact that that kind of grief and anger was having on me.”
The Beverly Hills, 90210 star added that she was able to move on from the divorce after a “weird switch” that seemingly came out of nowhere.
“One day, I just said, ‘I don’t want to carry this anymore. It’s impacting my relationships and how I feel about myself. I’ve got to let it go. I’ve got to forgive him,'” she said. “Even though it took a while, I’m finally at a place comfortable choosing myself.”
Jennie and Peter were together for 17 years, married for 12, and welcomed daughters Luca, Lola and Fiona before parting ways in 2012. They are now friendly co-parents and have been honest about the trials and tribulations that came with figuring out their parenting dynamic.
© Getty Images“She’s the mother of my kids, and I love both [her husband] Dave and Jennie. Our relationship has gotten to a really great place,” Peter told Us Weekly. “I think it’s important to have that friendship.”
“I wish we got to that place sooner, because when you’re coparenting with someone you’re not with, it can get frustrating and it can be hard, and sometimes your ideologies might not line up. Being able to figure out how you navigate that together, it can be tricky,” he explained.
© FilmMagic“Communication is key, and now I look to her as a solid friend. That’s really nice to have.” While Peter is now engaged to Lily Anne Harrison and welcomed a son, Jack, with her in 2022, Jennie remarried in 2015 to Dave Abrams.
© InstagranThe couple endured a rough patch in their marriage when IVF issues and a series of miscarriages strained their relationship, yet they reconciled after a 10-month separation and celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary in 2025.
© Getty Images for Ferrero“I really wanted to give Dave a baby because he was young and all of his friends were having kids and I just thought that’s what he needed…when all the while I was thinking, ‘I don’t really want another baby,'” Jennie told People.
“It all comes down to we’re trying to people-please,” she added. “We’re trying to do what other people want or what other people expect or what we should do. But once you get past all of that, and you really get to the core of what you want for your life? That’s when everything seems to get easier.”
Read the full article here
