Tori Spelling‘s Beverly Hills, 90210 character, Donna Martin, was famously a virgin throughout most of the series, despite many of her peers (ahem, Shannen Doherty‘s Brenda and Luke Perry‘s Dylan) having gone all the way early into the Fox drama’s 10-year run.
And Spelling appreciated that — for a while.
“I feel like in my youth, I was always very much — it was a badge of honor to be able to be a virginal symbolism to so many women and men out there,” she said on Friday’s edition of the 9021OMG podcast that she hosts with former 90210 costar Jennie Garth. “So, Donna was like — I felt, like, very special to be able to have that. But at some point, I was like, ‘I kind of just want her to lose it. Like, what’s the next step?'”
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It began to feel monotonous focusing on this one aspect of Donna’s life. (After all, she was almost a Rose Queen!)
“We’re always talking about the same storyline,” Spelling said. “She can’t, you know, move on story-wise until we get to that point. So I remember when it was happening, I was like, ‘Oh, finally.'”
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The big event took place at the end of season 7, in the first half of a two-part episode called “Graduation Day.” And, of course, Spelling’s partner in the all-important storyline was Brian Austin Green, who played Donna’s longtime boyfriend David Silver. It was her last night of college.
Spelling confirmed on the same podcast in June 2023 that it was her late father, Aaron Spelling, a producer of the series, who was responsible for keeping Donna from embracing her sexuality any earlier than she did.
Show producer and writer Charles Rosin straight-up said that it had been the senior Spelling’s idea to keep Donna innocent: “We just went, ‘Oh, yeah, that makes perfect sense!’ Because we were able now to differentiate you.” (Aaron Spelling died in 2006.)
Tori Spelling herself had noted in a 2013 interview with Vulture that, at one point, she even told him, “Come on, Dad. It’s time.”
Listen to the full episode of 9021OMG above.