Jennie Garth said her and the late Shannen Doherty’s infamous feud stemmed from their heated confrontations with each other while co-starring on “Beverly Hills, 90210.”
Garth and Doherty’s characters on the iconic ’90s series, Kelly Taylor and Brenda Walsh, respectively, were rivals on the show, and Garth said that was reflected in how people perceived their relationship in real life.
The actress said it was “confusing” for the two of them and admitted they sometimes “clashed”.
“It brought that to the forefront over any innate friendship or admiration that we had for each other,” she said in an interview with People magazine published Wednesday.
Garth said he and Doherty did bond in one way because they were both Aries.
“She was very closely connected to her parents and her father’s health issues. I was going through the exact same thing at the same time,” she recalled. “And a lot of adult stuff happened for both of us.”
“We were doing the best we could, and sometimes strong women come into conflict with each other, especially when young women aren’t educated about friendship and its importance,” she continued.
Looking back, she said that the media and fans’ fixation on their rivalry put them in a “terrible” position.
“No one guided us,” she pointed out. “No one was in therapy at the time, no one talked to us about anything. We both just kept to ourselves.”
“There were times when we clashed, but at the end of the day, we really respected each other as strong women who have been in this industry for a long time,” she added.
Garth, 54, said Dougherty taught him a lot about being strong and standing up for himself.
“Even though it was complicated at times, I am forever grateful for her and our relationship,” she admitted. “It was still really good.”
Mr. Doherty passed away at the age of 53 on July 13, 2024, after a long battle with cancer.
In March 2024, when fellow “Beverly Hills, 90210” alum Brian Austin Green appeared on the “Charmed” alum’s podcast “Let’s Be Clear,” Doherty recalled getting into a heated argument with Garth over a prank he pulled.
“Oh my god, she lost to me and I wasn’t in the mood to back down,” Doherty said of Garth.
Director Green recalled having to physically intervene with co-star Ian Ziering, and described the constant tension between the group of female cast members, who also included actresses Tori Spelling and Gabrielle Carteris, as “not an easy situation to watch.”
