Famously known as Donna on the teen drama Beverly Hills, 90210, Tori Spelling has continued to grace our screens over the years. From acting to writing, the 46-year-old has done it all. Most recently, she led the way in reviving the ‘90s series with the meta reboot BH90210.
Although its premiere drew in impressive ratings, Fox recently announced BH90210 will not be returning for season 2, which has left fans wondering what this means for Tori. In the six-episode reboot, she starred as a heightened version of herself, playing up all the rumors that have been spread about her in the past, including her alleged financial problems (just this week the rumor mill is claiming that she owes over a million dollars in taxes).
Right now, it's estimated that Tori has a net worth of $500,000, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Here's how the star has amassed her fortune.
1981: Tori got her start in TV movies and shows
Though viewers may remember first spotting her in 90210, Tori actually got her start on the TV series Vega$. From there, she made appearances in TV movies and shows, including Saved by the Bell. And shortly after, she landed a lead role on a little show called Beverly Hills, 90210.
1990: The world meets Donna
Tori's big break was being casted as Donna on 90210, which her dad Aaron Spelling produced. Based on the lives of teenagers living a life of luxury in Beverly Hills, the plot wasn't too far off from her own life as a multi-millionaire's daughter. The show ran for a whopping 10 seasons and there were 292 episodes in total.
In 1992, the show won the People's Choice Award for Favorite TV series, and a year later, it won the same title at the Kids' Choice Awards. From 1990-2000, she also starred in several movies while filming the popular show. And in 2001, she even appeared as herself in Scream 2.
Early 2000s: Her made-for-TV movies
Tori continued starring in movies, including 2003's A Carol Christmas and Mind Over Murder in 2005. On the set of the 2005 movie, she met her now-husband Dean McDermott. Three years later, she released her first book, Stori Telling.
2006: Her inheritance makes headlines
After the tragic death of her father Aaron, all eyes turned to Tori when it came to her potential inheritance of his estimated $500 million estate. As it turns out, however, she reportedly only received $800,000 of it.
Shortly before her dad's death, Tori starred in So NoTORIous, and played a fictionalized version of herself (similar to her latest role in BH90210). In it, she portrayed herself as a daddy's girl trying to make it big in Hollywood. The show was on for one 10-episode season.
2007: Tori kicks off her reality TV career
In 2007, Tori and Dean premiered their show Tori & Dean: Inn Love, showcasing how they operated a bed and breakfast in California. After the second season, they left their B&B gig and changed the name of the show to Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood. The series aired for six seasons, but that was just the beginning.
2009: Tori returns to 90210 and continues writing
Before she created the reboot BH90210, the CW came up with their own modernized concept of the teen soap. Tori agreed to reprise her role as Donna in two episodes of the show's first season. That same year, she published her second book, Mommywood. She went on to write Uncharted TerriTori in 2010, a children's book Presenting...Tallulah in 2011, and the party planning guide celebraTORI in 2012. Her latest release was 2013's Spelling IT Like It Is. In it, she spoke about some financial troubles, in the hopes of relating to her fans.
“Google thought I was worth fifteen million dollars,” she wrote. “Fifteen million dollars! I didn’t have one million. We had some income here and there but no savings apart from our retirement accounts. I have a terrible habit of going into denial about my finances. I think that if I don’t deal with it, then it’s not real.”
2011-2014: Keeping it real
In 2011, Tori and her husband hosted the show Tori & Dean: sTORIbook Weddings, which featured them helping couples plan their dream wedding. The show only last for one season. Tori quickly followed up with another show, True Tori, in April 2014. The two-season-long reality show gave an inside look at a difficult time in her marriage, just after finding out about Dean's infidelity.
Just a couple months after the True Tori premiere, the couple starred in the docuseries Tori & Dean: Cabin Fever, following their summer retreat to Canada. While there, the family worked on revamping a cottage in Ontario.
2014: Tori and Jennie reunite for Mystery Girls
The women who played Donna and Kelly returned to the small screen for a mystery show called Mystery Girls. In it, they played former stars of a detective TV series who reunite to solve a real mystery. The show aired for one 10-episode season.
2019: Donna comes back to Beverly Hills
In summer 2019, Tori and Jennie brought the 90210 crew back together to reprise their roles from the hit ‘90s drama. According to The Hollywood Reporter, she made $70,000 per episode, and an additional $15,000 per episode as a co-creator with Jennie Garth.
When asked by Good Day New York anchor Rosanna Scotto why the storyline revolves around Tori's finances, the star revealed: "That’s such speculation, media loves to talk about it, so we were like, ‘Let’s face it straight on. Let’s put it in there.'" She also confirmed during the interview that, yes, she is able to pay her bills.
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