Jennie Garth doesn’t want to hide her health journey anymore.
In a very candid interview with SELF Magazine on Thursday, the 90210 actress is opening up like never before — talking secret surgeries and treatments she’s had over the years.
Related: Jennie Says Podcast Reunion With Ex Peter Changed EVERYTHING!
In the profile, she revealed she was diagnosed with osteoarthritis at just 47 years old:
“I remember [the doctor] telling me so carefully and gingerly, ‘I can see some arthritis coming.’ It was a scary thing to hear because the condition progresses and gets more debilitating — and I was only in my mid-40s at the time. I remember feeling old and confused.”
We can imagine how scary that would be! But Jennie was determined to get the best care so she could be there for her kids she shares with ex Peter Facinelli:
“By the time I was 48, I started to feel like I couldn’t keep up with my family during our normal activities. On one ski trip in particular, I was in so much pain that I had to sit in the lodge and wait for them. I didn’t want to be someone who couldn’t do the things she loved with her family. Plus, my husband is nine years younger than me and very fit. I didn’t want to be married to a younger man and start to break down. I knew I needed to care for whatever was happening.”
So sad. At such a young age, too! This decision ultimately pushed the 52-year-old to getting a double hip replacement. The first surgery took place in 2020 on her left hip, and things went quick:
“Within three days of the surgery, I ditched the walker and replaced it with a vacuum. I FaceTimed my sister to show her, who didn’t realize the significance of me doing household chores until I told her what happened –that’s how few people knew about it at first. Looking back, I didn’t take it slow enough after the operation or give my body enough time to heal.”
The recovery process for her second surgery in March 2024, however, didn’t go as smoothly:
“I came out sorer and was more laid up than the first time. (Turns out, the recovery period for my initial hip replacement was an anomaly. My doctors told me it takes anywhere from 6 to 12 months, sometimes longer, to feel normal again.) There was no vacuuming on the third day.”
The actress admitted this go-around was more discouraging, but she’s determined to heal properly so she can get back to doing what she loves! Good for her!
But why reveal all this now? Well, Jennie said the untimely deaths of her castmates Luke Perry and, most recently, Shannen Doherty pushed her to be more honest and open about her health issues:
“Truthfully, I was nervous to open up about my hip replacements. I’ve kept it a secret for so long, but I’m no longer at a place where I want to hide things. Having several of my castmates pass away at such early ages really drives me to stay super active and do everything in my power to remain healthy. People put off taking care of themselves at all costs until they just can’t put it off anymore.”
And now she wants to use her platform to encourage others to take care of themselves more properly, too:
“When something hurts, go to a doctor and do whatever you can to alleviate the pain because you don’t have to live in pain. Listen to and respect your body, because this is the body we came into the world with and it’s the body we’re going to grow old with — and we have to take care of it.”
Wise words!
Elsewhere in the interview, Jennie opened up about her experience with IVF — AKA vitro fertilization. She said she and her husband Dave Abrams kept going through failed attempts to conceive. In fact, it was what led to their 10 month split back in 2018:
“[We] were trying to have a baby, and it kept failing. And that was really, really hard on both of us individually and on our relationship. When we decided to let go of that possibility, it freed us up to love each other in a different way.”
Aww… so hard to hear. Fertility issues are so tough to go through.
We’re glad Jennie is in a better place now and more comfortable sharing her life and health journey. Reactions, Perezcious readers?
[Image via MEGA/WENN]
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