Quick Read
- Jennie Garth is releasing a new memoir detailing her struggles with depression and substance abuse following her 90210 fame.
- The actress reveals she required medical intervention after self-medicating during her 2012 divorce from Peter Facinelli.
- Garth credits her recovery to adopting the ‘I Choose Me’ philosophy, which helped her overcome people-pleasing and find stability in her current marriage.
Actress Jennie Garth is detailing the profound personal struggles she faced in the years following her rise to global stardom, revealing a history of depression, substance abuse, and a journey toward long-term sobriety. In her upcoming memoir, I Choose Me: Chasing Joy, Finding Purpose, and Embracing Reinvention, set for release on April 14, the 54-year-old star reflects on the isolation and mental health crises that defined her post-fame life, according to People.
The Weight of 90210 Stardom
Garth recounts that the sudden, intense fame of Beverly Hills, 90210 was overwhelming, describing the experience as akin to being in The Beatles. Lacking preparation for the constant public scrutiny, she adopted a strategy of extreme withdrawal. She recalls walking in public without making eye contact to maintain a sense of privacy, a choice that eventually led to a deeply isolated existence. During this period, she struggled with intense anxiety and negative self-perception, leading to restrictive dieting and cosmetic procedures as she sought to meet the era’s rigid beauty standards.
Divorce and the Breaking Point
The memoir addresses the most harrowing period of her life: the 2012 divorce from actor Peter Facinelli after 17 years of marriage. Garth writes that the emotional toll of the separation pushed her to a breaking point where she began self-medicating with alcohol and pills. The situation became life-threatening, requiring her to have her stomach pumped. Following this, she sought treatment at the Canyon Ranch rehabilitation center to address her reliance on harmful coping mechanisms.
The ‘I Choose Me’ Philosophy
Garth explains that the title of her book—and her personal mantra—is a reclamation of the iconic line her character Kelly Taylor delivered on 90210. While she admits she did not fully grasp the significance of the sentiment in 1995, it has become the cornerstone of her life after 50. Currently living a sober, stable life with her husband, Dave Abrams, after a temporary separation in 2018, Garth emphasizes that shedding the habit of people-pleasing has been essential to her recovery. E! News notes that she and Facinelli have since established a functional co-parenting relationship for their three daughters.
The candid nature of Garth’s disclosure highlights a growing trend among 90s-era icons to reframe their public legacies by prioritizing mental health transparency, shifting the narrative from celebrity perfection to the realities of long-term recovery and personal agency.