Tori Spelling’s husband defends her after backlash over $95 virtual meet and greet
Dean McDermott is coming to wife Tori Spelling’s defense — again.
Earlier this week, the former “Beverly Hills, 90210” star took to Instagram to invite her fans to participate in a virtual meet and greet with her, complete with a face-to-face video chat, “virtual selfies” and a commemorative recording of the call.
The only catch mentioned in the since-deleted post was that the opportunity would cost $95 — which is what caused her to catch flak from followers, who felt the timing just wasn’t right.
“People are upset that, given the current situation we’re in, in the lockdown in the coronavirus, that she’s charging people money to do a meet and greet,” McDermott said in a video of his own on Instagram. “Well, a company approached her and thought, ‘Hey, what a great idea because everybody’s on lockdown, everybody needs entertainment; and why not have a meet and greet and bring some levity and some fun and some humor and love to this situation?’”
According to the actor, who married Spelling in 2006, the real issue is that some people simply enjoy bringing his wife down.
“Because it’s Tori Spelling, she gets dragged, and she gets the haters coming down on her for simply doing something to entertain people,” he explained. "But more importantly, to provide for her family. What is wrong with that?"
Due to quarantine amid the coronavirus pandemic, many are working from home, working fewer hours or not working at all, and while some commenters on social media claimed that’s why they had a problem with Spelling charging for the online event, McDermott said that’s exactly why she was charging.
“What is wrong with providing for your family at this time?” he asked. “All of the studios, everything is shut down. She has no way to work. Like everybody else, she has no job to go to. So, why can she not work from home and do a live meet and greet with fans — and give them some light and love and have some fun?
"There are numerous celebrities out there that post stuff and influencers — and they’re out there making money every single day. But no, let’s drag Tori Spelling. Let’s give her a hard time.”
During the video, the 53-year-old father of six raised his voice and pointed at the camera as he seemed frustrated over the need to explain any of it.
“Everybody needs to back off and just take a breath and relax,” he said, punctuating his words by pointing more. “I don’t know how many times I’ve had to come on here and tell people to chill out.”
It’s true that McDermott is no stranger to defending his wife and family on social media.
When she received rude remarks after posting a bathing suit pic, he raged at the unkind “cowards.” When followers came after her for raising “overweight and unhealthy” children, he rallied behind the kids and his wife insisting, “She’s a great mom.”
In his latest post, he said, “She’s a wonderful person, she’s providing for her family, but Tori Spelling always, always gets the haters and gets dragged.”
And he wants that to end.
"It used to be cancel culture. Now, it's drag culture, and this has to stop, too. You have to stop dragging people," he said.
“Would you go to someone’s house, who’s a computer programmer who's working from home, and say, ‘Hey man, why don’t you do this for free because of the situation we’re in?’ No, you wouldn’t,” he said. “But no, because it’s Tori Spelling, you think it’s OK to do. Well, you know what? I’m here to tell you, it stops now. ... because we are all in this together."
