Victoria "Tori" Spelling was born and raised in Los Angeles, California.
Spelling comes from a Jewish family on both sides, and she grew up celebrating all the Jewish holidays and going to temple.[1] They, incidentally, also celebrated Christmas "as a family getting together, not a religious holiday."[2] She didn't have a Bat Mitzvah however, because she said religious school didn't sound especially appealing to her as a kid, although it's something she regrets.[3]
Spelling's husband, actor Dean McDermott, is not Jewish, but she still practices the faith as an adult, and therefore she passes her Jewish heritage and religion onto her four children.[4] I couldn't find much about how exactly the Spelling-McDermott clan balances their interfaith life except that they apparently go to church together[5] and had disagreements about whether or not to circumcise their son.[6]
And that's all I have on Tori Spelling's faith for now. Shall we move on?
Sort of a Gay Icon
Spelling isn't overly involved in politics, except for one thing: gay marriage. She's a proud and vocal advocate for the issue. She said,
My kids will grow up in a house knowing that it's perfectly normal for two men to be in love; it's perfectly normal for two women to be in love. My kids will grow up knowing it's all about love. It doesn't matter who you're with and everyone should have that experience.[7]
And speaking of her kids, she enlisted their help in promoting the cause. She painted her face and her kids' faces and arms with the NoH8 logo from the eponymous gay rights organization.[8] She also posed with her husband in an ad for the campaign,[9] and became an ordained non-denominational minister in order to officiate a same-sex wedding.[10]
And in fact, she sees herself as an icon of the gay community. She said,
I am a huge fan of gays. They love me, and I love them. They think of me as sort of a gay icon.[11]
You would assume that translates into support for the Democratic party, considering the issue is part of its platform, but I couldn't confirm it. She tweeted about voting on election day in 2012, but didn't reveal whom she was supporting.[12] And it doesn't appear that she made any big donations to Obama's campaign or any public endorsement.
Her father financially supported both the Democrats and Republicans throughout his life,[13] so maybe Tori is a swing voter too. Maybe time will tell. Keep us updated in the comments.
Loading comments...