Dean McDermott is celebrating a milestone in his sobriety journey.
“WOW we wee WOW!! 3 years!! Couldn’t have done it without my Family, Friends, Fellowship, Sponsor and a 12 step program!!” McDermott, 59, wrote via Instagram on Friday, June 26. “It all started with surrendering and asking for help.”
He continued, “The best decision I’ve ever made. If you’re struggling, reach out. I love you all.”
McDermott also uploaded a video, calling himself “clean Dean” and proclaiming that he is in good spirits.
“Today, June 26, I celebrate three years being clean and sober. Yes, it can be done,” he said. “I want to let you know out there if you’re suffering and you’re in pain [that] it can be done. If I can do it, you can do it. It starts by reaching out your hand and asking for help.”
McDermott continued, “I know in your darkest days that seems like Mount Everest to do that, but reach out. … Ask for help, it’s OK. You can’t do this thing alone, none of us can.”
McDermott, who stopped drinking following his 2023 divorce from Tori Spelling, initially blamed the demise of his marriage on his continued substance abuse issues.
“Alcohol made me feel good enough. I started feeling good enough until it got to a point where it didn’t — it ended up in isolation,” McDermott told the Daily Mail in November 2023. “It ended up with me drinking a fifth of tequila every night, seven days a week and a handful of [prescription medications] by myself with a beautiful family in the other room. That’s what it led to and that’s what led to the brokenness and to what happened between me and Tori. I couldn’t do it anymore. I couldn’t live that life anymore. I was tired of the anger and the yelling.”
According to McDermott, his alcohol-induced fights “petrified” Spelling, 53, and their five children. (McDermott also shares son Jack, 27, with ex-wife Mary Jo Eustace.)
“I would wake up angry that I woke up and I have these five, six beautiful kids in my life, but I was so dark and hopeless, I couldn’t see that,” McDermott recalled to the outlet, praising Spelling’s support. “She came from just such a place of love and wanting me to be healthy and happy. … It was codependence. She put my well-being well ahead of hers. She loved me so much that she didn’t really want to tell me how it was affecting her, although I could see it in her face.”
Spelling and McDermott finalized their divorce in November 2025, since pledging to be amicable coparents.
“We’re great coparents. Our relationship is fantastic,” McDermott exclusively told Us Weekly that month. “We’re a united front. It’s all about the kids. At the end of the day, we’re a family, right? And whether we’re together or not, I love Tori. I’ll love her for the rest of my life, and she’s gonna love me for the rest of her life.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
