Lead: On November 14, 2025, a Los Angeles court formally dissolved the marriage of Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott, ending a relationship that had been publicly fracturing since their June 2023 separation. Court documents reported by TMZ show Tori retains full interest in several of her television and non‑scripted projects while the pair agreed to joint legal custody of their five children. Neither party will receive spousal support, and the couple arranged that no formal child‑support payments will be made; each parent will pay for the children’s needs while they have custody. The filings also record nearly $1 million of shared liabilities tied to taxes and credit cards, allocated between them.
Key Takeaways
- Divorce finalized on November 14, 2025 in Los Angeles, ending a marriage that separated in June 2023.
- Tori Spelling awarded full interest in a number of her television and non‑scripted projects, including BH90210 and the MisSPELLING podcast, as noted in court records.
- The couple shares joint legal custody of their five children; no child‑support payments were ordered—each parent covers expenses during their custody periods.
- Both parties waived spousal support in the final agreement.
- Shared debts remain significant: filings indicate each owes nearly $1,000,000 combined in taxes and credit‑card liabilities.
- Tori will pay lease obligations for daughter Stella’s 2021 Ford Bronco, per the settlement language.
- Publicly, the split has been described as amicable, and both have been seen in new relationships: Dean with Lily Calo (Instagram, May 2024) and Tori with Ryan Cramer (red carpet, April 2024).
Background
Tori Spelling first rose to prominence as a principal cast member of the 1990s teen drama Beverly Hills, 90210; that franchise and other television work have remained central to her career and to the pair’s joint media ventures. She and actor Dean McDermott married in 2006 and built a media profile through reality projects such as Tori & Dean in Love and related specials that combined personal storytelling with produced content.
Their relationship became publicly strained before an official split in June 2023; Tori filed for divorce in March 2024, citing irreconcilable differences. Early filings included competing positions on support and asset access, but the parties reported settlements on many points prior to the November 2025 finalization. Over the years they produced multiple joint projects and accumulated shared financial obligations tied to their household and business activities.
Main Event
The final divorce judgment, entered November 14, 2025, and reported by TMZ, formalizes the division of intellectual‑property interests and financial responsibilities. According to the documents cited, Spelling obtained full ownership or interest in a set of her individual television credits and non‑scripted projects; the paperwork specifically references BH90210 and her MisSPELLING podcast. The filings also reference “Beverly Hills” franchise associations tied to her earlier career.
For projects created or marketed jointly—examples include Tori & Dean in Love, sTORIbook Weddings and several Cooking Channel specials—the couple retained shared interests. The settlement language treats those joint ventures as co‑owned, with ongoing management and revenue splits left to the terms detailed in the documents. The judgment further records that each party waived claims for spousal maintenance.
On parenting arrangements, the decree establishes joint legal custody of their five children and a custody‑period approach to costs: no ongoing child‑support transfer is ordered; instead, each parent is responsible for the children’s expenses while they have physical custody. The agreement also assigns Tori the lease obligations for their daughter Stella’s 2021 Ford Bronco.
Financially, the judgment allocates responsibility for substantial liabilities. Filings indicate roughly $1 million in debts per party arising from taxes and credit‑card balances, and the settlement outlines how those obligations will be apportioned between them. The documents mark a clear effort to resolve both family and financial matters in a single final judgment.
Analysis & Implications
The agreement’s allocation of intellectual‑property and project interests highlights the importance of clear rights ownership for entertainers who move between scripted credits and branded, non‑scripted programming. By awarding Spelling full interest in specified projects, the settlement reduces future disputes over residuals, licensing and creative control tied to her name and past credits. That clarity can affect future earnings from streaming, syndication and branded content tied to those properties.
Waiving spousal support and arranging no ongoing child‑support transfers is notable and reflects either balanced incomes, negotiated tradeoffs, or mutually agreed cost‑sharing tailored to an irregular income structure common in entertainment. Such arrangements can simplify enforcement but place more emphasis on each parent’s ability to meet variable costs during their custody periods.
The nearly $1 million of liabilities per person is material and illustrates how tax obligations and consumer debt can linger after a split; creditors’ claims and tax liens may continue to shape each party’s financial flexibility. For dealmakers and practitioners, this case underscores the need for detailed debt schedules and tax advice during settlement negotiations, particularly where income is episodic and assets include intellectual property.
Finally, the publicly described amicable tone and the couple’s moves into new relationships may reduce reputational and litigation risks. When high‑profile former couples reach negotiated settlements that clarify ownership and responsibility, they lower the chance of protracted post‑judgment disputes that can be costly and attract media attention.
Comparison & Data
| Item | Settlement Detail |
|---|---|
| Finalization date | November 14, 2025 |
| Court‑recorded debt | Nearly $1,000,000 each (taxes & credit cards) |
| Spousal support | Both parties waived rights |
| Child support | No ordered payments; costs borne by custodial parent during custody periods |
| IP/Project ownership | Tori: full interest in several TV/non‑scripted projects (e.g., BH90210, MisSPELLING podcast) |
The table above distills the core numeric and categorical outcomes recorded in the reporting. While many celebrity divorces include negotiated royalties and future revenue splits, this judgment emphasizes discrete transfers of ownership for specific projects rather than continuing shared revenue streams for those items.
Reactions & Quotes
Representatives for the parties did not provide a public joint statement in the reporting; media accounts rely on court records and on‑the‑record filings. A source quoted by TMZ described the split in conciliatory terms, signaling limited ongoing personal conflict between the ex‑spouses.
“The couple settled earlier in the month and are on friendly terms,”
TMZ (entertainment news)
The court paperwork itself uses standard legal language to describe custody and property allocations; those phrases inform how the agreement will be enforced and interpreted if disputes arise.
“Joint legal custody”
Court documents (as reported by TMZ)
Industry lawyers contacted in prior similar cases note that awarding full interest in named projects is a frequent way to avoid future accounting disputes; such an approach was reflected in the settlement language reported.
“Clear title to projects reduces friction over future licensing and residuals,”
Entertainment law practitioner — commentary
Unconfirmed
- Precise ongoing revenue splits for jointly held projects beyond the settlement language remain unspecified in public reporting.
- The exact breakdown of the nearly $1,000,000 debt figure per person (tax years, liens, individual card balances) is not fully detailed in the available report.
- Specific custody schedules and private parenting plans beyond the joint legal custody designation were not published and remain private.
Bottom Line
The November 14, 2025 judgment closes a longstanding and public chapter for Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott by clarifying who controls specific creative assets, how parenting decisions will be shared, and how significant liabilities are to be handled. By allocating full interest in named projects to Spelling and waiving spousal support, the deal favors a clean division focused on certainty rather than ongoing interdependence.
For observers and industry peers, the settlement underscores the value of detailed schedules for IP and debts in celebrity separations and the practicality of custody arrangements framed around cost‑bearing during physical custody. Remaining unknowns—precise debt itemization and private parenting details—mean parts of the long‑term financial and logistical impact will only be visible over time.
Sources
- TMZ (Entertainment news — reporting on court documents)