Jennie Garth Recalls Divorce Sending Her On A Drug Overdrive

Jennie Garth and Peter Facinelli met on the set of "An Unfinished Affair" in 1995 and tied the knot six years later in 2001. The Jennie Garth Recalls Divorce Sending Her On A Drug Overdrive first appeared on The Blast

Jennie Garth is revealing how her 2013 divorce sent her down a spiral.

The American actress is unpacking all the feelings that came with parting ways with her ex-husband, Peter Facinelli, and how she literally hit rock bottom, seeking solace in harmful substances.

Jennie Garth and Peter Facinelli met on the set of “An Unfinished Affair” in 1995 and tied the knot six years later in 2001, welcoming three daughters before he filed for divorce in 2012.

Jennie Garth Turned To Rehab After Her Rough Divorce

The actress came undone in her interview with PEOPLE today, April 8th, discussing an important chapter in her new memoir “I Choose Me.” According to her, the only way she knew how to deal with the shock of her divorce was to drink so much alcohol and take so many pills. Unfortunately, her overconsumption also led her to the hospital, where she had her stomach pumped to flush the toxins out.

After her stint in the hospital, she decided to embark on a life-changing journey to the Canyon Ranch rehab center, where she was hit with the self-awareness of her light dimming and the overwhelming lack of good vibes around her. She noticed the weird effect of her negative thoughts about her life and decided to be proactive about changing her situation.

In her words during the interview, “And there was a weird switch where 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.” Following her resolve, she made up with Facinelli, and today, they have become amazing co-parents and pals. During the Los Angeles wildfires in 2025, Facinelli took in Garth and her new partner, actor Dave Abrams.

The Actress Speaks On Handling Fame Following Her Appearance On ‘Beverly Hills, 90210’

Garth referenced her very normal childhood and upbringing outside the bubbling social scene of Beverly Hills and how she did not envision being one of the most famous teens on the planet until she was cast on “Beverly Hills, 90210.”

Her appearance on the show was the beginning of a new reality, which was scary and unknown to most of them in that line-up, and they had to find a way to survive the wave or drown. The 54-year-old expressed that there was no manual on how to navigate that life, and they had to learn on the job. Garth found herself struggling with severe anxiety from the constant exposure, and this made her devise every means possible to protect her privacy.

She recalled living a very isolated existence, avoiding eye contact with people, and not sharing details of her life with anyone. Underneath all these efforts to stay oblivious, the actress confessed that she also found it difficult to believe that she was worth the hype, as she was her own biggest critic.

Jennie Garth And Peter Facinelli Looked Back On Starting A Family So Young

In 2024, Woman’s World reported that the former couple reunited on an episode of her “I Choose Me with Jennie Garth” podcast, where they got candid about their marriage, their divorce, and everything in between. For Facinelli, his age when they had their first child heavily influenced how he saw life, and he was not ready; he was 21.

He described the whole sequence of welcoming their first daughter, moving in together, getting married, and having a second child as a whirlwind. According to him, the whole marriage felt like it was arranged, and while he was truly in love with Garth at the time, he still had not gotten to the stage where he truly knew himself or what he wanted out of life. As for the actress, she was well into the start of her iconic acting career.

Facinelli added that it took him so long to leave his marriage because of their children and break up the family, but when it finally happened, they both agreed to share custody. Garth declared her gratitude to her ex-husband for being an amazing full-time dad to their kids and being there for her whenever she needed help with something.

The Author Gushed About Her Friendship With Peter Facinelli

The media personality did not hesitate to inform the world during the Palisades fire that her ex-husband was generous enough to open his doors to her family to seek solace. As stated by The Blast, she also stated on her podcast that they had started mixing their blended families (Garth found love again and married Abrams in 2015, while Facinelliinelli is currently engaged to Lily Anne Harrison).

The actor welcomed a son with Harrison, and Garth revealed that she was invited to the son’s christening, where they will be going on a boat ride with the whole family. The actress happily shared that she rekindled her friendship in 2024 after he appeared on her podcast. According to her:

“Guys, we are officially friends now. He even unblocked me from Instagram. I’ve been blocked on his socials for so long that I [stopped] caring years ago. But I’m unblocked now, you guys. That’s that’s big news.”

Jennie Garth Addressed Her Arthritis Diagnosis In 2022

The media personality was diagnosed with osteoarthritis at 45, which left her shocked because she did not think anyone within her age bracket could get that. As noted by The Blast, she recalled feeling some pains in her knees, hips, and different parts of her body, but it never occurred to her that she had arthritis.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, Arthritis is a disease that causes damage in the joints, accompanied by pain, stiffness, and inflammation, and is common among people older than 50.

Garth blamed her diagnosis on years of active physical exercises, and partly heredity, as the disease runs in her family. Still, she only discovered after talking to her family about her diagnosis. However, she found a way to deal with her condition by incorporating different products, exercises, and diet regimes.

The Jennie Garth Recalls Divorce Sending Her On A Drug Overdrive first appeared on The Blast