Beverly Hills, 90210 vet Jennie Garth admits she self harmed during low point in her life but daughter stopped her

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Jennie Garth, best known for her role on Beverly Hills, 90210, has revealed in her new memoir that she struggled with self-harm during a difficult time in her life.

The incident took place in 2017 when she split for two years from her husband Dave Abrams.

Okay, so I just heard the most awful thing about her. Apparently, when she and Abrams broke up, she was absolutely devastated. Like, really spiraling. And… I can’t even say it without feeling sick… she said she was so upset she broke a framed picture of them, and then… she actually cut herself on the broken glass. It’s just… heartbreaking and terrifying to think about. I’m so worried about her. It just shows how deeply she was affected by everything. I just want her to be okay.

The performer confessed they weren’t thinking clearly at the time, describing it as an almost automatic reaction, like they were punishing themselves.

One of her daughters, from her marriage with Peter Facinelli, saw her and asked her to stop.

In her book, Garth described being deeply afraid she had permanently damaged her relationship with her daughter. She realized that showing her vulnerable side was hurting her child, and she knew it was a mistake she’d always regret. Her son, Luca, pleaded with her, saying, “Mom, you can’t keep going on like this. We need you.”

Garth also said she started drinking more alcohol to soothe herself amid the split.

This is just one story from her new memoir, I Choose Me, which comes out on Tuesday. The book details her journey of finding happiness, meaning, and embracing new beginnings.

Luca is Jennie’s oldest daughter with Facinelli.

Jennie and Dave married in 2015, but they separated for a short time between 2017 and 2018, leading Dave to file for divorce. However, they reconciled in 2019.

This news follows Garth’s disclosure of a harsh message from her marriage counselor, which ultimately led her to understand her relationship with Facinelli was finished.

Garth and his wife were married for twelve years, from 2001 to 2013. Ultimately, it was just one counseling session that helped Garth realize the marriage wasn’t working anymore.

Garth Brooks recently shared on Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast about a couples counseling session he and his wife attended in Phoenix, Arizona. The therapist surprisingly asked him why he loved a man who didn’t seem to feel the same way, leaving Brooks puzzled.

It’s a question that has stayed with her today and one that completely ‘gutted’ her.  

We were talking, and almost immediately she asked me, “Jennie, why would you ever want to love someone who doesn’t love you back?” She repeated the question, clearly emphasizing her point.

It’s hard to understand why anyone would keep loving someone who doesn’t feel the same way. I remember realizing that—it really hurt. It finally hit me that I needed to let go and move on.

Garth was upset when she left the office, and was surprised to see Facinelli and the therapist had already driven off to find her.

I was completely losing it – talking a mile a minute, walking around, swinging between anger and tears. My friends were in the car, trying to keep up with me and gently urging me to just come with them to a hotel. They were being really supportive, like any good friend would, but honestly, I was so overwhelmed I just couldn’t even process it. The thought of getting in the car with them just didn’t compute – I kept thinking, ‘Why would I do that? No way!’ It was a really disorienting moment.

Somehow, they managed to get me into the car. Then they drove me to a hotel. He checked in separately, and I figured I should do the same – that was when we split up.

Once she arrived, she began combining small bottles of alcohol with medication prescribed for air travel in an attempt to relieve her pain.

She woke up in the hospital, realizing she was lucky to be alive. A friend had stepped in and saved her from a dangerous situation in the hotel room.

I lost consciousness and collapsed on the floor. I think my best friend was still on the phone with me at the time, so she realized something was wrong.

When she woke up, Garth said the memory of what occurred flooded back to her. 

Everything around me – my assistant, the white coats of the doctors – seemed blurry and distant. Suddenly, the memories flooded back, and all I could think about was finding a way to numb the pain.

Shepard pointed out that the author admitted to still feeling embarrassed when writing about this experience. He observed, ‘It seems talking about it still makes you a little uncomfortable.’

She explained that her biggest regret was disappointing her daughters and feeling like she’d failed as a mother by putting herself in a dangerous situation. She admitted she was lucky to be alive, as she could have easily died in that hotel room.

Garth eventually went to The Canyon, a rehab center, where she overcame her addiction and stopped using substances to cope with her problems.

Jennie said she started taking benzodiazepines after they split.  

‘That started when we separated. I just didn’t know how to cope with all the feelings and all the responsibility that I suddenly felt,’ she said. 

I’ve always been financially independent, and even during my marriage, my ex and I split expenses equally, so I wasn’t worried about money. The real issue was emotional – I was devastated and didn’t know how to cope with being on my own.

The couple had originally planned to star in a reality show where they would move to a ranch. However, they had broken up before filming actually started.

She admitted to having wine in the evenings while also taking medication. She described feeling embarrassed about it, then immediately criticizing herself for feeling embarrassed, thinking it was a matter of pride.

Looking back, there’s a period of my life that feels…distant, almost like it wasn’t me. I mostly remember feeling completely exhausted. My mornings were a blur of getting the kids off to school, then immediately collapsing back into bed. Honestly, when the film crew arrived, the last thing I wanted to do was face the day – I just couldn’t muster the energy to get up!

People would pressure me to participate, encouraging me to step forward, and I usually would, simply because it felt like the expected thing to do.

But the show ended up being a positive experience for her daughters.

It felt really strange and disconnected, almost like watching from outside myself. But thankfully, there were also lighthearted moments. Seeing the girls get distracted by the friendly crew and enjoy creating things for the show made me feel much better about the whole experience.

For a moment, life felt normal when the film crew were present. 

For a little while, everything felt good and normal, with everyone laughing. But as soon as people left, I was reminded of what life was really like.

She remembered the day he asked for a divorce vividly. They were in an RV while their children played safely outside on a farm, running around as kids do. It was there, with the children enjoying their freedom, that he told her he wanted a divorce.

He told me, “Jen, you’ll thank me for this one day,” and it made me incredibly angry. It really frustrated me, she explained.

Garth’s memoir, I Choose Me, will be released on April 14.  

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2026-04-14 17:20