Tori Spelling Reveals Which 90210 Stars Got Invites to the Epic Spelling Family Christmas Parties Back in the Day

Tori Spelling says her famous family was the Kardashians of their day — at least when it came to their annual Christmas Eve party

Published Time: 07.10.2024 - 23:31:21 Modified Time: 07.10.2024 - 23:31:21

Tori Spelling says her famous family was the Kardashians of their day — at least when it came to their annual Christmas Eve party.

On the most recent episode of her podcast MisSpelling, the Beverly Hills, 90210 star revealed “secrets” and memories of “The Manor,” the sprawling 56,000-square-foot estate that was once home to Tori, younger brother Randy, mom Candy and über television producer dad Aaron — including who got a coveted invite to their holiday bash.

“The iconic party yearly was, my parents threw a Christmas Eve party,” Tori, 51, recalled. “And those Christmas Eve parties …”

“They were the Kardashians before the Kardashians,” producer Amy Sugarman chimed in, referencing the reality TV family’s own notoriously opulent Yuletide soirees.

Tori explained that the Spelling Christmas Eve party was mainly “family and friends” before the they took up residence in The Manor in the ’90s. But, she said, “At the manor, it was like …woah!

“I mean, you would walk up those steps, and there'd be, like, 55-foot nutcrackers lining the steps,” she said.

Of course, Sugarman wanted to hear about all the celebrities on the Spellings’ guest list. After all, Aaron Spelling’s Rolodex included several decades’ worth of Hollywood A-listers who had appeared in his shows — everyone from Farrah Fawcett and Joan Collins to Heather Locklear and Shannen Doherty.

“My dad was really close to all of his stars,” Tori said. “But the parties that I remember, which are the ones during my 90210 years… It's interesting because those Christmas Eve parties, while he was so close to his entire cast, only Jason Priestly and Luke Perry were ever invited to the Christmas Eve parties from 90210.”

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“I don't think Shannen Doherty ever came. Maybe she was out of town?” she continued. “But Shannen would have been included. She was always with me. So, she had to have been included, and maybe there was a reason she — maybe she was with her parents somewhere.”

Despite Aaron Spelling’s closeness with the stars of all his shows, Tori suggested there was never a big meeting of different generations of TV royalty at the family’s parties. The guest list, she said, “changed” over the years.  

“While he kept in touch with all of his celebrities, all his stars, the Christmas Eve party was always updated to the current situation on television,” Tori said. “Even at The Manor, it would be, like, 100 people. That would be max.”

Of course, Tori said, that didn’t stop Candy Spelling from going all out on decorations. “She must have — hundreds of thousands spent on this party. But the people, no. Not even a 100. Maybe not even 50. It was a very intimate group.”

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As for The Manor itself, three years after Aaron Spelling’s 2006 death at the age of 83, Candy put the massive estate on the market, eventually selling to British heiress Petra Ecclestone in 2011.

“Before my mom sold it, I got to take my kids there,” Tori, who has five children with estranged husband Dean McDermott, recalled. “I was happy they got to see, like, where I kind of grew up.”

“I wish they could go there now,” she added.

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