Tori Spelling Reveals She and Stepson Jack McDermott ‘Bonded Again’ After He Came Out
Tori Spelling is a proud stepmom.
In honor of her stepson Jack McDermott’s 21st birthday on Sunday, the BH90210 star, 46, penned a touching tribute on Instagram, celebrating the “smart, kind, funny, unique, sweet, confident, and driven” person he is.
Spelling began the lengthy post by lovingly walking down memory lane and recalling when she first met Jack at the age of 6.
“Ok I’m gonna embarrass you for a second @thejackmonty … I’ve known this guy since he was almost 7. I loved when we met bc he had no idea who I was. And, I don’t mean tori spelling,but the woman his dad was dating,” began Spelling, wed Jack’s father, Dean McDermott, in 2006.
“He was going thru so much and his mom and dad were trying their best to navigate a very difficult situation for a boy his age. Divorce,” she added, referencing Dean’s divorce from his first wife, Mary Jo Eustance.
Despite the difficult season, Spelling remembered that as she got to know Jack, they “bonded over dogs, his rabbit DIY school project, tag, hide and seek, and video games. He called me Teri. And I didn’t correct him bc I loved that he had his own perception of me.”
RELATED: Tori Spelling Claps Back at Criticism Over Letting Daughters Dye Their Hair: ‘Screw the Shamers’
The actress wrote that as Jack, then a “little boy,” grew, she remembered “helping him with his homework and reading Charlottes Web, dressing up his hamsters in DIY Halloween costumes, and playing Polly Pockets at the pool while other boys his age teased and we ignored them and laughed and played and had so much fun they eventually asked to join.“
“I remember his feet growing and eventually we could share the same shoes (not now he wears a 14 ha ha!). And, I then remember the years as I watched this young boy grow to be a pre teen and a teen and try to figure out his role in our blended family,” recalled Spelling, who shares five children — Liam, 12, Stella, 11, Hattie, 7, Finn 6, and Beau, 2 — with Dean.
A post shared by Tori Spelling (@torispelling) on Oct 6, 2019 at 11:49am PDT
Spelling said that when the “years of awkwardness” came, their relationship shifted. “He was quiet. I was quiet. It was new to me and I never wanted to push my role in his life. I’ve loved him since he was that little boy that called me Teri and played Polly Pockets with me.”
But years later, when Jack was 17, the duo was able to bond in a new way after he came out as gay.
RELATED: Tori Spelling Says She ‘Adores’ Mom Candy as She Shares ‘Twinning’ Throwback Photo
“And, then he came out. I was so proud of his confidence. He was who he was and he was proud of it. And, then we bonded again. We found each other on a new level with a whole new respect for each other,” she said.
Four years after he opened up about his sexuality, Spelling couldn’t be prouder of the “unique” and inspirational person Jack is.
“He’s 21 today. I’m so proud of the amazing human he is. He is so smart, kind, funny, unique, sweet, confident, and driven. His scream, smile, and laugh are contagious and his style is fierce. He makes no apologies for who he is. And who he uniquely is … Is Jack Montgomery McDermott. Someone who is an inspiration. Someone who has overcome many challenges thru out his young life and comes out on top no matter what. You are a fighter and a beautiful human @thejackmonty,” she wrote. “PS- I know we both hate emotions so I’ll stop now. Happy 21st Birthday! I Love you Jacky Boy. Xoxo.“
Over the summer, Dean opened up about his eldest child on his podcast, Daddy Issues.
“My son Jack is gay … he’s this beautiful, 6-foot-4, beautiful Adonis,” Dean, 52, said of Jack. “He’s just a gorgeous kid.”
The actor explained that his son lives in San Francisco, where he is studying graphic design at San Francisco University.
RELATED: Dean McDermott Says Son Jack, 20, Doesn’t Tell Him About His Boyfriends: ‘He’s So Quiet!’
“It’s so funny, he’s so quiet about who he’s dating,” Dean said. “Like, he was just here, he came for four days. And we had dinner, and he’s like, ‘So, yeah, I broke up with Steve.’ I’m like, ‘I didn’t even know you were going out with Steve. Like, you don’t tell me anything.’ He doesn’t tell me anything about his boyfriends. He’s like, ‘Yeah, We were going out for, like, a year…’ I say, ‘Yeah, as a dude why don’t you tell me?’ He says, ‘Eh.’ “
As for Spelling, Dean said Jack has a great relationship with his stepmom. “He loves Tori,” Dean said on the podcast. “They hit it off right from the jump. They met when they were 6.”
