Dean McDermott Refused to Adopt Daughter & Left His Family for Then-Mistress Tori Spelling

Canadian actor Dean McDermott gave up his family, including his first wife, only son, and an adopted daughter, following an unconditional love affair with his then-mistress Tori Spelling. Nearly two decades later, the actor questioned his actions.

TV personality and Canadian actor Dean McDermott has been married twice. His first was to Mary Jo Eustace, and the former couple had a son, Jack McDermott, before divorcing in 2006.

They could not have another child following Eustace's infertility struggles during their marriage. So they opted for adoption. In 2004, Dean and Eustace met baby Lola an hour after her birth.

The couple described the experience as unique, despite being a pending adoption. This made their family complete— or so they thought.

Their firstborn, Jack, was in awe of his soon-to-be baby sister, and the former couple was happy with the addition, but it was short-lived.

During a visit to Palm Springs, Dean confessed to his wife that he had been unfaithful but that the affair exposed him to true love.

He talked about being in awe of Spelling, who reciprocated the feeling. The lovers had planned their perfect happily ever after, and that was all that mattered to the on-screen star.

Dean abandoned his family for a lifetime with Tori Spelling, "Beverly Hills, 90210" actress, and it came at a cost. According to court papers, he agreed to "relinquish all legal rights" as Lola's adopted father since Eustace felt their split would jeopardize the adoption.

Unfortunately, Dean relaxed in his fatherly responsibilities after the separation, leading the former couple to engage in a never-ending lawsuit.

Eustace had waved off years of debts, including spousal and child support, until her son became an adult. She blamed her ex-husband for not being responsible for their son.

However, Dean appealed to the court, admitting that he had failed as a father but promised to do better. This led his ex-wife to drop charges until later in 2017 when she appeared in court.

Eustace claimed that her ex-husband resumed payment which was always late, but reclined again. Although Dean argued earlier that he did not have enough money, he lived lavishly with Spelling and their kids.

His first wife was not bothered about losing him to jail, her concerns hinged on Dean's irresponsibility, and she added that he must be accountable for his actions as it has affected her life. According to her:

"It's not up to me. It's up to Dean to pay. [...]I was really strong about it, and I just kept heading back into the courtroom."

Eustace claimed that her ex-husband regrets leaving his first family despite Dean's unpleasantness. During their outing to support their son's baseball games, she revealed that the actor knelt to cry.

Dean confessed that he made a mistake leaving them behind during the emotional moment and wondered if his life would have been different with her.

DEAN MCDERMOTT'S LIFE WITH HIS WIFE TORI SPELLING

Dean and his second wife crossed paths as co-stars in "Mind Over Murder," a production filmed in Ottawa, Canada.

At the time they were married to different people, Dean had been with his first wife for twelve years, and Spelling was married to another actor, Charlie Shanian.

However, they had an affair, and a few years after finalizing his divorce with Eustace, the actor married Spelling on a private island in Fiji.

An insider revealed that neither of them intended to hurt their former spouses. According to the source:

"It just happened. No one meant to harm anyone. You can't help who you fall in love with and who you're right with."

The happy couple became parents to Liam the following year and premiered their first reality TV show "Tori and Dean: Inn Love."

In 2008, the couple welcomed their second child, a daughter, Stella. Three years later, their second daughter, Hattie, was born.

Spelling welcomed Finn in 2012 through C-section after suffering from placenta previa and excessive bleeding. Following a challenging pregnancy, the actress waited until 2016 before conceiving their fifth child, Beau.

As they expanded their family, the couple debuted different reality TV shows. However, after eight years of marriage, Dean complained about his wife filming what should have been a magical moment— their 2014 wedding anniversary.

The TV personality begged Spelling to keep the cameras out of their anniversary, but she insisted, adding that they "had commitments."

Before the anniversary, Dean confessed to an affair with an unnamed Canadian woman. The couple had been estranged for months, so he wanted to win Spelling back in a sweet way.

Apart from refusing to stop filming, the actress did not seem entirely pleased with the celebration. She dressed casually for the outing but accepted Dean's gift.

DEAN AND SPELLING'S DIVORCE RUMORS

For a long time, fans have speculated that their favorite reality TV couple's marriage may be heading for the rocks. In 2021 Spelling's post fueled these rumors.

She shared the family's Christmas card featuring her and their five kids only. Her excuse for Dean's absence was that he was filming a new feature film.

However, an insider commented that the actress is meeting with her lawyers to slam divorce papers on her husband. The source explained that:

"The marriage is over and has been for a very long time now. Tori has met with her lawyers and is planning to file very soon. She's trying to work it all out and make sure she is financially OK first."

The insider maintained that the couple failed in rectifying their marital issues, as they have been at it since the 2014 scandal.

Spelling confirmed that things were rigid between them and that they had been sleeping in separate rooms, but they managed to step out occasionally for family time with their kids.

This does not mean that their kids are immune to their parents' marriage rumors. They have access to their parent's posts/reality TV shows, and Spelling confessed that her daughter was upset about the actor's infidelity.

A few weeks after claims of a possible divorce, other close associates to the couple alleged that they are working things out because of their kids, despite Spelling's trust issues.

After envisioning their lives apart, the couple weighed their options and chose to stick together. They consolidated their love and are trying to maintain a healthy balance.

While Dean is away shooting and earning money, his wife is nurturing their kids and appears to be focusing on her appearance and career as a podcast host.

DEAN AND SPELLING'S ADMIRABLE FAMILY LIFE BEFORE THE UPS AND DOWNS

Having a large family with five kids has never been trouble for the couple despite their busy schedules. Before news of their divorce rocked the media, they lived an admirable family life with their adopted dog.

In 2020, the couple added a new member to the family: a rescue dog. They excitedly shared the news, and Spelling gave insights into her love for animals.

She told fans that she once had a rescue dog named Ferris, who died at age 19. He helped her understand compassion towards animals, which influenced her rescue mission.

With their latest family member on board, the kids were happy, and fans admired Spelling for her kindness to animals. This seemed like the perfect complete family the couple might settle into once they patch things up.