‘I Don’t Need People Shaming Me’: Tori Spelling Fires Back at Outrage Over Her Getting Undressed So 7-Year-Old Son Could Give Her a Massage for Allowance
Tori Spelling is pushing back on critics who bashed her for uploading what they beleived was an inappropriate photo with her 7-year-old son Beau.
Earlier this month, the mother of five faced criticism after posting a photo of herself receiving a back massage from her youngest child while partially unclothed. In her post, she explained that her son had requested to do chores for an allowance, and she referred to this arrangement as the “solid plan” she devised.
The “90210” actress addressed the backlash during an episode of her podcast, “misSPELLING,” on Monday, February 24. In the episode she provided further context to the photograph, saying, “So, on my Stories recently, I posted what I thought was a very cute photo of my 7-year-old son Beau — ‘pretending’ being the keyword — pretending to give me a massage. And then I said he wanted to make money for an allowance, and I thought this was a good way to start. Beats chores, something like that. I don’t know. Solid plan. And, yeah, that’s all it was. And then all of a sudden it exploded on the press scene.”
She revealed that the plan was developed after she visited her long-time friend Michelle’s massage parlor. Beau and her other kids accompanied her, and when he saw Michelle massaging his mom’s back, he offered to help.
Spelling said Michelle, “took that one picture of Beau pretending to give me a massage. And I just think it’s wild. It’s wild the stuff that you can put out there that they change the narrative on so hardcore.”
While Spelling saw it as harmless, she admitted that she had some warning about the possible repercussions of the photo right when she posted it.
“I mean, as soon as I put it up,” she said, “One of my best guy friends, he DM’d me and he was like, ‘That’s not a good look.’”
Spelling, who didn’t quite understand her friend’s take at first, thought that he was joking. In response to what she thought was playful banter, she quipped back, “‘I know. He was getting all the wrong spots. Like, you should have started on the feet.’”
She said her friend, who was clearly not joking at this point, exclaimed, “Oh my god. People are going to freak out!”
Spelling seemed oblivious to how ruthless and unforgiving the Internet can be; she couldn’t grasp what the fuss was about. She thought, “Why is this such a big deal? It’s a cute photo. Everyone knows it’s not real. Obviously, we are not at home. I’m not making him do chores. Clearly, I’m at a massage parlor.”
The 51-year-old then joked that maybe it would have been better for her to post the photo of Beau walking on her back instead. She also questioned why comedians get let off the hook when they post anything, “but if an actor posts something like, ‘Oh my god. That must be true. She’s a horrible mom,.’”
Spelling said she had one friend that tried to look at the brighter side of the situation by pointing out that at least she was getting some attention. The friend said, “‘Well, good news is you’re relevant. You’re in the press.’”
But that wasn’t enough for Spelling. Her response was, “I know, but like I have such mom guilt anyway. I don’t need that. I don’t need people shaming me thinking I’m like forcing my kids to massage me.”
Even after her explanation, fans still seem to be showing Spelling no mercy.
One person under People magazine’s Facebook post of the story said, “Creepy way to teach the work pay lesson…”
Another wrote, “You didn’t have a couple of dishes he could wash or something.”
Spelling has three sons and two daughters she shares with her estranged husband, Dean McDermott. She filed for divorce from him in March 2024 after 18 years of marriage.