She said she has a good relationship with her step-son, but she never said it was easy!
Dean McDermott wanted to make it a priority to stay close to his son Jack when he left his ex wife Mary Jo Eustace for Tori Spelling.
But Mary Jo was NOT happy about the way Tori tried to get close to Jack behind her back!
Here’s what she said in a sworn declaration during her divorce proceedings with Dean in 2005. She said:
“I asked [Dean] if it would just be [him] and Jack during the weekend. [Dean] stated, ‘Yes, Tori will not be there….’”
But when he got back, Jack revealed this:
“He told me that he had spent the weekend with Tori Spelling. Jack stated that Tori had helped him with his school project, that she took him to Build-A-Bear, that they went to the movies on the weekend together and ate out together. Jack said [Dean] told him Tori was an old friend and that she was married.├óΓé¼┬¥
Having Tori Spelling in her son’s life was NOT cool with Mary Jo who said in the sworn declaration:
├óΓé¼┼ôIt├óΓé¼Γäós not in Jack├óΓé¼Γäós best interest to rush Jack├óΓé¼Γäós introduction to and/or relationship with Tori Spelling or any other significant ├óΓé¼╦£new mate├óΓé¼Γäó of [Dean] at this time. Jack loves his family and it├óΓé¼Γäós obvious that he is extremely upset and that he is mourning the loss of his family as he knew it. Jack needs time to process and deal with his feelings of upset and insecurity about the breakup of our family. Jack needs to build a new level of trust with [Dean] before [Dean├óΓé¼Γäós] significant other is introduced into their relationship. [McDermott’s] persistent efforts to immediately introduce Jack to Tori Spelling and have her physical presence in Jack├óΓé¼Γäós physical presence are not in his best interest.├óΓé¼┬¥
Which is when she asked the judge in the proceedings to make sure Tori Spelling was never around when Jack was visiting his father, and what’s more – for any photos of her in his house to be out of sight!
She said:
“[Prohibit McDermott from] having Tori Spelling sleeping at his residence while he exercises visitation with Jack. [McDermott should be] restrained from displaying photographs or other pictures of Tori Spelling at [his] residence or any places where Jack also spends time, [and bar him] from referring to Tori Spelling as his girlfriend or a member of the family in [Jack├óΓé¼Γäós] presence, [and] from engaging in demonstrative displays of affection with Tori Spelling.├óΓé¼┬¥
Although the judge passed on most of these requested provisions, he did make it so Tori Spelling couldn’t sleep over at Dean’s residence while his son was there.
However, according to Tori, she’s managed to forge a relationship with her step-son. She said back in 2011 that:
“I have a good relationship with my stepson, Jack. The most important thing I learned was to make sure Jack knew I was never going to try to take his mom’s place or be his mother.”
It seems like Mary Jo’s actions helped propel those thoughts into Tori’s mind!
Divorce is never easy, especially on the kids, but at least this family managed to make it work in the end!
[Image via BauerGriffinOnline.]
