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Jennie Garth is opening up about past regrets over her feud with Beverly Hills, 90210 costar Shannen Doherty.
Garth spoke with People ahead of the release of upcoming memoir I Choose Me: Chasing Joy, Finding Purpose, and Embracing Reinvention, out April 14, and opened up about what really went on behind the scenes that led to discord with the late actress. Garth and Doherty starred as Kelly and Brenda, respectively, on the '90s teen drama.
"I think we were both in the same position, really thrust into the spotlight, and we were written as characters to be against each other," she said. "That translated into the media and into the audience and then into the world's perception of our relationship... And that, in turn, was confusing for both of us, I think."
The What I Like About You actress recalled recently looking at an old issue of a Teen Bop magazine that even reinforced that statement, with one page praising Garth as a "sweetie" while the next proposed joining an "I Hate Brenda Fan Club."
"And it really dawned on me it wasn't just us," she said. "This energy was coming at us from everywhere and pitting us against each other."
Garth said their off-screen rivalry was a "better story for the show" but a negative experience for her and Doherty as they had no one to help lead them through the scrutiny.
"And I just realized how terrible that was, how terrible it was to put us in that position. Nobody was guiding us. Nobody was getting therapy then. Nobody was talking to us about things. We were both just fending for ourselves," she said, adding, "We were doing the best we could. And sometimes strong women will clash, especially when they're young and uneducated about friendship and the importance of it."
Even though their relationship was "complicated" at times following the end of 90210, Garth said she is was "grateful" for the friendship they forged throughout their career before Doherty's death. The late actress passed away in 2024 at 53 following a long cancer battle.
"At the end of the day, we really did have a respect for one another as strong women who have lasted a long time in this industry," she said. "And she taught me a lot. She taught me a lot of really good things about being strong, standing up for myself, using my voice. And I'm forever grateful for her and for the relationship that we had."