Make Page Six a Preferred Source Dean McDermott is singing the praises of his “best ex-wife” Tori Spelling, crediting the actress with helping him finally confront his decades-long battle with addiction.
The Canadian actor told Page Six that Spelling was the one who got him into treatment, and the former couple have since rebuilt their relationship.
Even though they’re divorced, McDermott says they co-parent beautifully, regularly sharing dinner with their children. “I couldn’t have asked for a better ex-wife,” he said.
Now working as a drug and alcohol counselor and advocating for recovery through Cure Addiction Now, McDermott, 59, is gearing up to speak at the nonprofit’s upcoming fundraising gala in Beverly Hills on Nov. 9.
The organization, co-founded by Nancy Davis and her late son, Jason, is dedicated to finding new treatments and ways to tackle addiction while breaking down the stigma surrounding the disease.
McDermott revealed he hit rock bottom in recent years, following years of cycling through alcohol, cocaine and opiates. Having been in treatment several times before, he said he finally reached a point where he no longer had the energy to rebuild the life he had repeatedly destroyed.
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“You’re 56 years old and you’ve done it again. This is where you always end up. Your way didn’t work,” he recalled telling himself before finally surrendering and asking for help.
McDermott credited the 12-step program, therapy and breathwork with transforming his recovery.
He said he practices “active meditation,” which he said helps him reconnect with himself and process emotions he had spent years suppressing.
McDermott said he now facilitates recovery groups and counseling sessions, but stresses that helping others cannot replace maintaining his own sobriety.
He also urges parents of children struggling with addiction to balance unconditional love with firm boundaries. “Love them, support them and just be there for them when they’re ready to say, ‘Hey, I need help,’” he noted, warning against enabling destructive behavior.
With fentanyl making street drugs increasingly dangerous, McDermott delivered a stark warning: “One relapse could be your last.”
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