Jennie Garth Says She and Peter Facinelli Faked a ‘Good Face’ About Divorce to the World

Jennie Garth opened up about her and ex husband Peter Facinelli ’s public-facing personas following their divorce in 2012.

Speaking exclusively with Us Weekly on Wednesday, July 24, about her QVC collaboration, the Beverly Hills, 90210 alum, 52, spoke candidly about her once-contentious relationship with Facinelli, 50, after he appeared on two episodes of her podcast, “I Choose Me,” in June. During the episodes, the pair talked in depth about their divorce and coparenting their three children.

“From the beginning, I thought in the back of my head, like a conversation with Peter when I got the strength to go forward with it, you know, follow through with it,” Garth explained to Us . “It happened so easily. I was nervous to ask him honestly because … it hasn't been the easiest for us, and we have been really putting up a good face for the world.”

She added, “It’s been very difficult. We wanted to finally tell the truth and let people know that this evolution could happen for us, and it [is a] situation many people … [are dealing with].”

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Garth and Facinelli were married from 2001 to 2012 and share three daughters: Luca, 27, Lola, 21, and Fiona, 17. Garth married Dave Abrams in 2015, while Facinelli is engaged to Lily Anne Harrison , with whom he shares a 21-month-old son, Jack.

“It’s something that my family is struggling with and dealt with and learned from all these years,” Garth told Us of her divorce. “We just both came together and really wanted it to be a positive, helpful conversation. And I had no idea where it was gonna go.”

The actress also joked, “I opened it up, and Peter just started talking . I've never heard him talk that much. I think it was the first time he's actually ever talked about it, like verbalized it to anybody.”

Almost a month after Facinelli appeared on her podcast, Garth shared with her audience that Facinelli had officially unblocked her on Instagram . “Guys, we are officially friends now,” she said during a July 1 episode of “I Choose Me.” A few days later, Garth, Facinelli and their daughters spent a day together as a family out on the boat, per a post shared via the actress’ Instagram .

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“That episode really changed the dynamic in our family in such a great way,” Garth said to Us . “And I never saw that coming. Life's gifts are, you don't ever really see them.”

Though navigating their relationship post-divorce was challenging, Garth told Us that the exes are now on better terms, adding that she even got an invitation to Facinelli’s son’s baptism. “I couldn’t make it,” she said. “It was a couple days ago, but my daughters [were] all here.”

Reporting by Travis Cronin