After Luke Perry’s death, other 90210 stars’ struggles from drug abuse and mounting debts revealed
THEY made millions of TV viewers jealous as the rich kids of America’s poshest postcode, but off-screen the cast of Beverly Hills, 90210 have suffered tragedy and trauma.
Teen idol Luke Perry, who played heart-throb Dylan McKay in the series, died this week aged 52 after suffering a “massive stroke”.
But his untimely death isn’t the only harrowing tale to emerge from the Nineties teen drama, which was a ratings hit on both sides of the Pond.
From drug abuse to brushes with the law, bust-ups, debts and failed marriages, here Emma Pietras reveals the curse of 90210 . . .
Luke Perry: ill-health and tragedy
LUKE married Rachel “Minnie” Sharp in 1993 – supposedly after she sent him lingerie as a fan. They had two kids before divorcing in 2003.
In 2015, Luke began campaigning for colon cancer testing after losing a friend to the disease and seeing a friend’s wife survive it. Later that year, a test revealed he had pre-cancerous growths.
Luke had them removed – but sadly, that did not mark the end of his health problems.
He suffered a severe stroke at home in California last Wednesday and died on Monday, aged 52.
At his bedside was his fiancée, therapist Wendy Madison Bauer, as well as kids Jack and Sophie, ex-wife Minnie and other family.
While he will always be known for playing high-school stud Dylan McKay in Beverly Hills, 90210, he was also in Netflix drama Riverdale and recently filmed a role in Quentin Tarantino’s latest movie Once Upon A Time In Hollywood – lining up alongside Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio and Margot Robbie.
Shannen Doherty: booze, abuse and cancer
HER headstrong character in the show, Brenda Walsh, always spoke her mind – and so does Shannen. She was axed in 1994, following the fourth series, after male cast members broke up a fist fight between her and co-star Jennie Garth.
A brief engagement to Max Factor heir Dean Jay Factor ended in mutual claims of abuse and him filing a restraining order in 1993. He said she tried to run him down with a car. She said he threw her into a pool.
In 1996, she was made to have anger counselling after smashing a beer bottle on a car. In 2001, she got three years’ probation and was fined £1,000 for drink-driving.
Now 47, she is on her third husband, photographer Kurt Iswarienko, who she wed in 2011. Her second, poker player Rick Salomon, later made that sex tape with Paris Hilton.
Shannen joined US fantasy drama TV series Charmed in 1998 but left in 2001, reportedly over rows with a co-star.
She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015 but is now in remission.
Jason Priestley: booze and near-fatal crash
THE Canadian-born actor who played heart-throb Brandon Walsh was often mobbed by screaming girls but struggled with fame and would reportedly “smoke and get drunk during every Press interview”.
By his own admission, he partied hard “to prove he was nothing like sanctimonious Brandon”. But in 1998 he was held for drink-driving after crashing his Porsche into a roadside pole.
His licence was suspended for a year and he was ordered to take alcohol-management classes.
After trying to forge a career as a racing driver, in 2002 he suffered a 180mph, near-fatal crash. He said: “I broke my back, broke both feet, ripped my nose off my face, had to have this part of my skull rebuilt.” It was touch and go if he would walk again – but he defied the odds.
In 2005, he married make-up artist Naomi Lowde and they now have two kids.
Jason, 49, has had small roles in telly shows including My Name Is Earl as well as building a career as a director.
Gabrielle Carteris: career never recovered
GABRIELLE played swotty Andrea Zuckerman, who was more concerned with getting into Yale than being popular.
After leaving the series in 1995, she had her own talk show but it lasted just a season.
Gabrielle, who has been wed to stockbroker Charles Isaacs since 1992 and has two kids with him, has since starred in several TV films. But making one, she was allegedly injured while filming a stunt.
Her face was left partially paralysed and racked with painful spasms. She now manages her condition with acupuncture, and a personal injury lawsuit is ongoing. She said later: “For the first year, I didn’t go out.”
Gabrielle claimed the stunt was “not properly rehearsed” and that she was “pulled up by my chin over and over”. She said she felt symptoms almost immediately and her “face was doing wild things”, like she “became the Joker”. Her career stalled as result.
Now 58, she has since had small TV roles and is president of the actors and radio artists’ union Sag-Aftra.
Ian Ziering: rows with Playboy model
IAN played spoiled rich-kid Steve Sanders and went on to marry Playboy model Nikki Schieler, who was an extra on 90210, in 1997.
But he filed for divorce in 2002, citing irreconcilable differences, with a source saying at the time: “They have been fighting for a while.”
The actor was also said to have been fed up with the glamour model, who was too “focused on herself”.
But the source added: “This is who Ian wanted – the blonde bombshell.” Ian recalled it was “love at first sight” when he later met nurse Erin Ludwig aged 46. They married in 2010 and have two daughters.
Now 54, Ian has been a regular on the reality TV circuit – appearing on Dancing With The Stars and Celebrity Apprentice. In 2013, he spent a month as a celeb guest star for the Chippendales in Las Vegas.
He recently reprised his role of Fin Shepard in the sixth instalment of American TV film Sharknado, alongside 90210 co-star Tori Spelling.
Jennie Garth: string of failed romances
HER character Kelly Taylor was involved in her fair share of love triangles – and Jennie’s love life has been just as rocky.
She got engaged to drummer Daniel Clark in 1991 – just six months after meeting. They wed in 1994 but split a year later when she fell for actor Peter Facinelli on the set of TV movie An Unfinished Affair.
They married in 2001 and had three daughters before divorcing in 2013 over claims he had cheated.
Jennie was hoping for third time lucky when she met actor David Abrams on a blind date. They tied the knot in 2015 but he filed for divorce last year, citing irreconcilable differences.
She wrote on Instagram at the time: “Resilience means the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties.” The pair have since reunited.
Jennie, now 46, starred in a 90210 spin-off series in 2008 and, six years later, renovated her Hollywood Hills home for TV show The Jennie Garth Project. She has also launched an online subscription pamper box for mums.
Tori Spelling: rich dad but no cash
FASHION-mad Donna Martin, who marries David in the series finale, was Tori’s first major role, in part down to her dad Aaron being the show’s producer.
But despite the TV mogul being worth £380million when he died in 2006, Tori has struggled with money.
She married actor Charlie Shanian in 2004 but it lasted just a year after she was caught in an affair with her Mind Over Murder co-star Dean McDermott.
A month after their divorce was finalised, Tori wed Dean and they went on to have five children. But the frivolous couple have been plagued with money woes.
Mum Candy revealed Tori wasn’t handed a big inheritance because of her wild spending sprees. The actress, now 45, said in 2013: “Just because I’m on TV doesn’t mean that I don’t make bad financial choices.” She reportedly owed £257,000 in taxes in 2015 and is being taken to court over a £68,000 credit card bill.
Tori had her own reality show and a role in the short-lived TV series Mystery Girls with Jennie.
Brian Austin Green: bitter custody battle
BRIAN, who played geeky David Silver, has been locked in a bitter custody battle with his 90210 love interest Vanessa Marcil for some time.
They got together in 2002 after his three-year relationship with co-star Tiffani Thiessen ended, but split following the birth of their son Kassius.
Two years later, Brian, then aged 31, started dating his Hope & Faith co-star Megan Fox, who was just 18.
They married six years later and have three sons.
But Brian has been accused by ex Vanessa of neglecting Kassius.
In an Instagram post in November, she claimed he hadn’t spoken to his son in five years, saying: “Custody cases hurt the children only.”
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Transformers star Megan, 32, and 45-year-old Brian have also had a rocky relationship.
She filed for divorce in 2015 but the pair reconciled a year later when Megan was pregnant with their third child.
Brian has gone on to star in CSI, Smallville, Desperate Housewives and Anger Management.
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