Jennie Garth

I can't even it's crazy. We've never actually met in the flesh that I'm a fan and a friend of yours from a bar. It's so weird to meet people here and then have them say thanks to me like I'm a fan when I wasn't in any sort of public eye until my late thirties. Really, and you I literally remember in walking into the whiskey and seeing you guys come in when you were on Beverly Hills and it was just, you know, the gen zs and gen Xes.

Don't really realize how insane that was, Like that was cult, Like I can't think about what now is as crazy as that was. What do you think is as crazy like stranger things maybe or like out of banks, Like, yeah, that's how crazy it was for people listening like it was out of banks level. It was crazy. I think it was crazier because there was no Internet. The people had to work really hard to like see us and you know, be in those rooms with us. So they

were really invested. And I'm the fans of the original nine to two on l they're the best fans in the world that they're still fans and they I mean we talked to them, we know them, you know through the podcast. We get a lot of interaction with them and they're like friends. It's crazy how the bond it is. It is crazy. And I and also because there was so much less competition than there weren't five thousand shows that it was like the only game going on in

town for sure. So what I what's jumping off the page for me is um, So you were a child actor though I never did a commercial. I started acting when I was sixteen seventeen. Oh yeah, I had like two jobs before I landed Beverly Hills nine twenty and then that was that. So where were you living and what made you decide that you wanted to be an actress at that age, and how did you pursue that at that age? How did you go about it? Well, I was I wasn't pursuing it. Like, I didn't know

I want to be an actress. I didn't know what I wanted to be. I still don't know what I want to be. But I really was just sort of led into this. I was dancing, and I thought it was going to be like a dance teacher for little kids.

I didn't know. But then I met a man named Randy James who wanted to represent me and brought me out to Hollywood and put me in acting classes, and right away I was auditioning, and I was so lucky enough to book stuff and get that ball rolling, and then it just kept rolling and kept rolling, and then all of a sudden, I was an actress. Wow. Yeah, and brought you to La Hollywood from where at that time I was living in Arizona. So wait a second.

That's that means someone really like was impressed by you to take you to another state and then and no one would ever like, no one would ever pay for something like that. Now, I mean that person was like I'm going to take care of it, and I'm bringing you to l I have a feeling about you, and that was like a manager or something. Well, it was

a little different. He discovered me. He was I was doing this scholarship pageant where I was dancing, and it was basically a beauty pageant, but I like to call it a scholarship pageant because it weirds me out less. But he was one of the guest judges for this thing, and he said, if you ever want to pursue it, give me a call. So my mom and I talked about it, and then we pursued it in Arizona and I took like an acting class, and we would send my tapes to him and give he would give us

us notes and his thoughts. And then one day my mom and I would just planned a trip out to la We knocked on his door and he said, Hi, you know you said if we were ever wanted to give this a go, we should come back, and so we did. Wow. That the interest, The most interesting part of this story is that he discovered me when I was sixteen seven sixteen and he is still to the

stay of my manager's which is crazy. That's a family member. Yeah, it's like it's like definitely my best friend, my father figure, all of it. That's unbelievable. And how proud is he? I mean, is that crazy? It's so nostalgic, it is. I mean, we just had a meeting yesterday together. We don't get to see each other that often, but we had a meeting in person yesterday, and I just love being with him. It just feels like I'm with you know, I'm protected, and he knows me, you know, it knows

everything about me. But it feels like you both learned this industry together. Because in many cases, you know, agents and managers, you know they're not worth their weight because you really could do a lot of things yourself. So is it that he actually has the skill set still or is it more loyalty you know what I mean? And both are fine. It's I'm a very loyal person, like loyal to a fault, and I don't think that's a negative thing. I think that kind of ties into

like my Midwestern roots. I'm just a very loyal person. But more than that, he's a really good manager. He's taking care of He's been like my colonel, Like I always call them the kind of the same similar relationship. Um, he's uh, he grew he when he signed me, he was early. He had been an casting executive at ABC and was a big deal in that, so he knew what he's doing. And then he started his own management firm and I was one of his first clients. So

he definitely learned a lot along this journey as well. Um, so we were more like friends, you know, on this kind of journey together. That's so nice. And you trust and trust and um, you just said he was like your father figures, so it was your mom. And you have brothers and sisters. I have wore half sisters and two half brothers, so it was up before you or after you were before Okay, So then my parents got married, had me, and functionally, were you spending a lot of

time with those siblings or functions? So you feel like no, okay, definitely. And you and Tory you met on the show and then you became best friends, and you really have been this close since back then. Yes, Tory Spelling and I we met obviously playing Kelly and Donna in nineteen ninety and we were forced to be together very intimately for ten years, you know, playing best friends on camera, and it definitely sort of came across. We were young and those were the only people we ever hung out with

was our cast and our crew. So obviously we became very close and that never ended. And you know, thirty, I think three years, four years later, we've been through so much and we've shared our lives together here and there throughout all of that, and it's just I think, not just with Tory, but with the rest of the cast, what we experienced during those ten years together and that kind of bond that we made it it can never be broken. There's there's never I would never not do

something that one of them asked me to do. I'd always drop things to be there for them, you know. And there's not a lot of people you can say

that about. Wow, And it really overall was a pleasant experience, meaning, you know, having left, having left to show myself that has a certain connotation, but also to the point of what you're saying, being there in the very, very beginning, there's like nothing can take away that crazy experience of being in the beginning of something that becomes part of the zeitgeist and like part of popular culture that you know, the president and was mentioning housewives in certain forms like

it was crazy, but it does it was reality, which is not scripted. So being on a script to show you have a little more of a shield of you're playing another character that doesn't necessarily reflect who you are, even though I'm sure a lot of you bled in and out. So I asked, like, was it all a pot? Was it all always positive and positive connotation? Like did you ever want to did you ever want to disassociate

from from that meaning? You know, for years Jim Carrey was comedy and wanted to not be the comedy guy. I wanted to try at being the drama guy. And sometimes people feel like they're locked into, you know, your

pigeonholed or put in a certain box. But it seems by reading about you, by your podcast, by your business that you either have always or you are certainly now really leaning into what made you successful and just saying, Okay, that's where the fish are, that's what it is, that's what my fan base wants, that's who I really am. So was it always like that or you had to like come back to it? Did you want to like break out and be Beyonce and not be with Destiny's

Child anymore. Well after when the show finished ten years later, there was definitely that moment of like, WHOA, where am I? What is happening? What do I do? Where do I go from here? And I had done drama first many years, so much drama because my character in particular was like the most dramatic character on the show. I think there's nothing that Kelly Taylor didn't endure at which I love doing. And then at that point though, I was like, I

want to do a comedy. I want to feel what it feels like to make people laugh, and I want to have joy in my workplace, in my day. And so then I went and did a show called What I Like About You was on the WB at the time with Amanda Bines, and that was so much fun. We did that for four years. But I've never been a kind of person, like I said before, I'm really loyal. I've never been a person that I'll ever turn my back on something, especially something that had such a profound

effect on my life as it is today. My gratitude for just that fact that it made me who I am. And I've taken you know, I've taken all the good parts of it and left all the bad parts and move forward with that. So it's like some being that it's in the fibers of who I am, and I'm I'm so appreciative of it, of it that of course I'm going to lean into I've always leaned into that before leaning into something was even a thing, like it's

just who I am. Yeah, I ask because I guess maybe during those ten years, like when I left my show, I had to give reasons why I left. I mean your show and you know, but I had to give reasons why, and it was perceived and actually a little true that, like it was a little toxic and I

left for a reason. But in doing Rewives my other podcast, it's sort of leaning back into it, saying I can comment this from a different perspective, and it's my experience, and it's my breaking it down and on my terms, and it's that's why I'm asking you that, because you and Tory know where you came from, and you're also not being stupid to go start talking with something new that people don't actually want to hear about as much as they want to hear about something that was iconic.

So it feels like you are you maybe always have leaned into it, but now you really, as a mom and a woman and you've gone through health issues, like you're coming at it from a very different perspective. Yes, definitely, I think that, you know, if I when I do have other projects to talk about or whatever, of course I'm going to talk about that. But it's like like again, it's part of my genealogy at this point, you know, and I'll take it with me wherever I go, and

I'm proud of it. I'm not embarrassed by it. But I'm not like you said, I didn't choose to leave the show. I was there all ten years because I really loved the whole thing. Yeah yeah, and it was like my little protective cocoon that whole life. And other people in the cast, though, did make you know, a couple of leaps and do go and do other things because maybe they felt it wasn't the right environment for them anymore like you, and you know, then you're gonna

face a whole different set of obstacles. I think, Oh, you did the whole ride for better for words, that's interesting. Yeah, there was a ride, and I'm sure there were of things that weren't positive, but all in, it was very blessed to have had the opportunity. And it sounds like as a person, you seems to organize and structured and intentional, but it sounds like you go with the flow, you go where the fish are you Like, Oh, I like that,

I'll do that. I like this, I'll do that. Like it sounds like you are strategic, but not overtly, like you kind of are open to different experiences that present themselves. That's so interesting that you pick up on that, because I'm I'm not a planner. I have always from day one just gone with the energy, you know, go with the flow, like they said, go with the fishes or whatever. But I've never had a plan, And often in my life I felt like, what's wrong with me? Why don't

I have a plan? Why don't I have goals and know what I want to do by this age like other people and you know, have it all laid out for me. But I've never been that way. And I can't worry about things because it'll all just always come in the minute I start ripping onto worry about whether whether it's finances or my next job, or my health or my kids, whatever it is. That's when things fall apart as well. You don't white knuckle, you don't strangle it,

you don't like you let it breathe. It's funny though, because most people would think that I am like that. I'm oddly like you two. I've never had a big plan. I doesn't mean that I didn't want to do something. I want to do that. Oh yeah, I want to get on that thing whatever that is, the Apprentice. I want to get on that weird show, you know, not the celebrity one, the normal person one, And like, I want to do that thing. And if I don't get on that thing, okay, this is the next thing. I

want to do, healthy cookies. I want to have, you know. And then that fails or succeeds. But overall, I'm the same as you and I just do what I want to do, which is surprising, Like I don't. Yesterday I got offered this TV show that's good money and it's great. I'm so literal. I'm like, okay, it means going to LA twice? What is that exactly worth? And I thought about, like my financial, spiritual, emotional, what is it? What is

it monetarily worth? What is it, you know, health wise and like, I only do what if I want to. I'm like you, I'm not like strangling onto. I want to be a billionaire. I want to be a mogul. I have like no real major goals, which is interesting to people, right, Yeah, Like I don't really have big goals. I just do. I go where it's going and I ride the waves. Yep, I think that that there's something to it. It's working for us. Yeah, it's working for us.

And you could be a billionaire by now if you strangle something else, but you wouldn't be you, and you might probably would be happy. Like in other words, I wouldn't be happy if I took every goddamn thing I was offered. I don't want to do it righta pajamas And I kind of goes back to what you were saying about my manager from from so long ago. My career would be in a different place. I have no idea where that would be better or worse. Who knows? This is what I would be happy because I wouldn't

have him by my side, you know. Yeah, I really do get that. I really really really really get that this is the road you chose. Funny, all right, so BF, that's cute and simple, and um, everybody has one, you know, everybody has one. But it's interesting that you got the name. I know. Yeah, how long that must have been a while ago? No, it was. It all came together in the last few years that we started the BF collection

for you know, QBC. They came to us and said they were interested in doing something with us, and we that just opened up our minds for a creative imagination and what we wanted to do, and we decided to start out in the home space. Um, I want to go there? Do you go there to? We did for our launch in January. We went to QBC in Pennsylvania as Chester and we had a really great experience. It's it's intense, but it's good and we have another drop coming in July, so we'll be back on air for that,

which is something to look forward to. So, BF, this is your collection, that's home and food and kitchen and you guys together. How did this even come to pass? You met with QVC and they just said they wanted to do an in house brand with you. Yes, that great. Basically how it happened. It was brought to us through an agent and they made the connection and then we had the call and it would just seem like the

right fit. And we were excited because they were taking care of all the manufacturing and all the costs and everything up front. All we had to do was create our business, you know, all of the things that went with that, which was a lot and being new, you know, we had never I had never done this before. So I've learned so much along the way, and I keep learning, you know. It's it's definitely a learning process. This is your first business venture since being on television, Like, you've

never monetized it in a business way, in a brand way. Interesting. That's interesting and smart and great categories and great for the two of you. And like I said, leaning into

the branding and your equal partners. You're in business together now. Yeah, we are at twenty fifty, and it's great to have somebody that you're in business with like that, that you've known for so long and you know in and out and you trust when you really trust each other, and you know in our relationship, you know, when we both have our own separate lives and are certainly our own

separate personalities. Were very different, people were very similar in a lot of ways too, and a thought partner, so I said a thought, partner, Absolutely, so you're married. I'm married, yes, And how long have you been married? We got married in fifteen I think, so seven years, seven, eight years

something like that. We took a year off, okay, but to collect ourselves because it was whirlwind we got we met and got engaged in three months and they got married in six months, and that was crazy and a little ambitious. So we both needed a minute to like digest that and took a break and kind of thought that that was the end of it. We thought we were going to get a divorce because it was just challenging and neither of us were really prepared for those challenges.

He's nine years younger than me, okay, which is significant, and in a different place in his life career wise and just independence wise. Was it was very different still now or you're saying back then now it's come together. Back then, it's come together now because you know, we've kind of can be you know what's the word when you can jail congine something together merged where we've merged. So in the beginning it was tricky and in the

beginning because it was just passion and love. But like then, you got into the brass tacks of life, like kids and blending and accident things like I had three young girls too, and I wanted a stable environment environment for them,

and I wanted to be able to provide that. And you know, Dave, my husband, just brought a really fun like light energy into our home which was really needed after a pretty dark period of time for myself, which for the girls too, and just that, you know, he came in and brightened things up and everybody just fell in love with him. And then when he then when we split up, you know, that energy kind of went away and I had to sort of figure out the

family unit again on my own. And just when I had to figure it out again, we decided to get back together. And the kids always loved him. Yeah, I mean it took them a minute because you know, they didn't want Mom to be with anyone but their dad for a long time. But now they love him and they love what he brings to the table of our family. And with world divorce challenges on the spectrum, are you guys, do you have a decent divorce, like a decent Gorden

variety divorce. Yeah, I would say, all in all, definitely I'm you know, super happy that he's still in the girl's lives and he's a good dad and he means a lot to the girls. And we've we've both been just and extremely like it's about the girls, you know, which is not about We're always on that page. Yeah, so the so you've that, that's that's that's actually pretty stellar.

That's like a pretty happily ever divorced to be honest, I mean yeah, I mean it wasn't roses for sure, especially in the beginning, because I didn't want it and being such a loyal person, I was not interested in ending the family, you know, the family in it. So it took a while for me. But now we're we're and we're almost done. Our youngest is sixteen, so we only really have two more years of co parenting, right, and we're both kind of like, who there's a light

at the end of the tunnel. Yeah. Yeah. Co parenting is definitely a struggle and decisions and opinions on what you know. It's funny because people think when the kids are younger that it's about I'm like, oh my god, I can't believe giving up some time and I can't believe I could be my kid all the time. And the truth is not until they become tweens do you

realize it's not really about time. It's about decisions over health matters and over sports and over and consistency, like that's the heart was hard hard for for me was like I'm their mom all the time, Rye, and when when they would go to his house, I would have to step back and not have such an opinion or such like involvement in their day to day stuff or they're more for me their emotional well being because I'm really into into like that side of right being a parent,

and he's a little bit more on the functional side. Yes, So that was really challenging for me. And I mean but when they would go whenever they go to their dad's house, I'm literally on the phone or on the text or constantly in contact with them, so right, it's like I'm not there. But it was very hard to adjust to not feeling like I was being a consistent parent because because I had no choice, like that was no I and then things and you see differences when

your kids come back, it's like you got it. It's almost like a lack of a better word, like retraining. Like even like they'll be tonal differences from someone's house to the next, or someone comes back, they will actress sassy. You're just like, okay, well that's not going to work here. Whatever the matter is, you know, always a little different.

I'm a feeling they're a little sassier when they go back to his house, because my house it's all about like let it, let it fly, like feel your feelings and right, you have a lot of fun with each other's feelings. So that's funny, um, And what about your health and authritis? And it's funny because we were more vulnerable as we get older and words I was reading about your struggle and words like osteopathic authritis make you

feel like you're older. They make you think about being there for your kids, and like they make you just feel differently like I have an autoimmune issue and it just you know, when you're not at your best, you just feel that the machine can break down, and it makes you feel vulnerable emotionally and physically. So I wonder about that part of your life. Yeah, life becomes so much more valuable when you look at it from that perspective. I mean from an early age though my dad suffered

as a start attack when he was thirty seven. So since I've been in my thirties, I've been uber just like responsible about my own health, being my own health advocate, and then started with my health, my heart health, and I still am a big I work a lot with American Heart Association, and I do a lot of talking about heart health and especially it's effect on women. So that's been really important to me now and as I've gotten older, brain health mental health has also been something

that I've struggled with my entire life. And now that it's such a big conversation, I'm so happy about that and it's able to talk about it more freely and reach more people. And now also now with arthritis, like having you know, ostro arthritis runs in my family. I actually have a already have a fake hip. I have

my hip replaced. Wow, which is significant because God, yeah, that like in twenty twenties, so it's a few years ago, right, but you know, just being able to talk about stuff like that and sort of like get rid of the stigma of like we're all gonna age, We're all going bodies are going to stay to break down, we gotta go through this together and talk about it. It's not embarrassing.

It is what it is exactly exactly. And what would you say the top three things that are in your everyday life for heart health do you sort of abide by like? And then brain health? Like, what are tools, tips or things that you could say to somebody else for heart health? Okay? Number one is well obviously no smoking, drinking out all smoke or drink. No dairy. People don't really talk about that very often, but I really believe

that dairy causes inflammation in our bodies. I feel it definitely when I eat dairy or when I have eaten dairy. We don't I've never given my kids dairy, Like, I just don't think it's good for you, Okay, and it kind of grosses me out. Activity obviously staying active, exercising, even if it's just walking. Like my mom is eighty and I'm every day I'm calling her and saying it, did you go for your walk today? But it's a good day. You can go out and put on your

rain gooat. You can still walk when the rain, when it's raining. And knowing, I think, especially knowing your your genetic predisisposition to heart disease is really important and keeping your BMI your body muscle ratio, your fat ratio to your muscle ratio, keeping that in a normal, healthy range. And I think it's good to work with a doctor to know what your BMI should be and just to keep it all in check because as we get older,

we let anything go. It's so much harder to get back on the rails once you deviate, you know, once you start gaining too much weight or becoming inactive, you know, it's really hard to get back. So just don't let it get to that point. Yeah, think ahead, beyond the case, beyond the case, got it? And what about for mental health? Mental health? Oh my gosh. I'm a believer in therapy. Have there have been times when I've been in intensive therapy.

There have been times when I'm like, right now, I'm not really in a daily I mean a weekly therapy kind of situation. It's like an as needed thing. I think therapy is great. And if you can get therapy from talking to your friends, that's that's pretty good too. I take a lot of brain supplements because I work

with a doctor. His name's doctor Amen, doctor Daniel Aman, and he is a leading brain doctor out there, and he's really educated me with the fact that much like the heart, which can regenerate and kind of heal itself if you take care of it, which is amazing to think, if you've done damage to your heart by smoking or drinking, you can fix it by living healthier lifestyle. Same with the brain. And the brain and the heart are the most vital things in our bodies, so taking care of

them is just a no brainer. It's a yes brainer, a yes, yes. So I take a lot of supplements, and I also I just you know, I study Buddhism. I'm never been a religious person of any kind, but bud Buddhism relates to the most with me, sort of resonates the most with me their messages. I do that weakly.

I take a Dharma class with my sixteen year old daughter, and yeah, I've been going to for a long time and I started taking her and I think it's made an incredible difference in her ability to control her mind, which is a really big challenge for people that have a lot of chatter going on up there. I mean some of us more than others, but everybody's got that like constant like noise that we're dealing with, you know, yeah, exactly, and I think it's helped her a lot. Do they

do they watch your episodes? Do they care or is that like a total different life? And they it's like peripheral for them. They watch it. They watch it back with me for my podcast every week after watch it back theyd been doing it with me. But they've all seen it. They've all seen all of what I like

about you. They've watched everything that There's My girls are so supportive and like they're my biggest fans and they will tell you that too, and it's mutual obviously, but yeah, I just know that they're you know, they love it and they are not embarrassed by me most of the time. So that's good. And so you have three daughters, but you did not your husband didn't have kids, and you didn't have another child. This is your your this is your family. This is it all the same father? Yeah,

got it amazing. Well, it was so amazing to meet you and really get to talk to you and learn about you. And I've admired you from afar and now I admire you from close. So I really appreciate you taking the time too. Yes, thank you for having me. I'm so happy to finally get to chat me too. And Tori did my other show, Rewives, which was she

was amazing. It was really really fun and ridiculous. I don't know if you've ever watched, if you ever want to come on, it's yeah, it's very very silly stupid, but there's actually a lot of takeaway too, so if you ever want to do it, it's fun. I'm gonna check it out. Yeah, awesome, all right, thank you so much. Of a great day too. She was so nice. How nice is she? She deserves everything. She's beautiful and sweet and like what a cute blondie, and so honest and calm,

and I really liked her. She was amazing.