Dean McDermott and Tori Spelling.Photo:Dave Kotinsky/Getty, David Livingston/Getty

Dave Kotinsky/Getty, David Livingston/Getty
Dean McDermottis opening up about his near-lifelong struggle with alcohol, sharing that before hisJune splitfrom wifeTori Spelling, “I wanted to die.”
“My addiction was untreated,” McDermott, 56, told theDaily Mail, saying that he had been in and out of Alcoholics Anonymous for nearly 30 years — and that his alcohol use soon progressed to cocaine.
McDermott shared that he used to go to AA, then “get some time here and there in AA, and then I’d go out,” presumably where he’d break his sobriety.
It was afterhe posted about the end of his marriagein June — something he tellsDaily Mailhe did while intoxicated — that Spelling, 50 got McDermott to agree to go to rehab.
“Through the years, I would just burn everything to the ground. Everything that was good in my life: My career, love, relationships, family. It ended up in isolation,” McDermott, who now lives in a sober house in Woodland Hills with eight others in recovery, told the outlet.
Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott in 2016.Allen Berezovsky/WireImage

Allen Berezovsky/WireImage
Spelling, McDermott says, tried to get him help. “She came from just such a place of love and wanting me to be healthy and happy,” he toldDaily Mail.
Dean McDermott stands in the center with all 6 of his children in 2022 along with then-wife Tori Spelling.Jon Kopaloff/Getty

Jon Kopaloff/Getty
A “fifth” refers to a standard 750-milliliter bottle of alcohol — or approximately 16 shots.
‘That’s what it led to and that’s what led to the brokenness. I couldn’t do it anymore. I couldn’t live that life anymore,” McDermott said. ”And finally surrendered to the fact that I need help. I wanted to die. I would wake up every morning going, ‘S—, I woke up again.’ And I’ve got six beautiful kids and a beautiful wife and I was pissed off that I woke up again."
Their first child,Liam, now 16, was born the next year, and four more children would follow:Stella, 15,Hattie, 12,Finn, 11, andBeau, 6.
McDermott is also a dad to his son Jack, 24, from his previous marriage toMary Jo Eustace.
Dean McDermott with Lily Calo.Splash news

Splash news
And now McDermott — who has embarked on a new relationship with an executive at Conscious Community Global,Lily Calo— says he has regrets about how things happened with Spelling.
“All she’s ever done to this day is want me to be happy and healthy,” he said tearfully. “I inflicted a lot of damage and pain on that woman.”
“I’m taking accountability for that today and it’s the biggest amends I’m ever going to have to make.”
While Spelling hasn’t yet reacted publicly to McDermott’s interview, a week ago she posted a self-reflectiveInstagram post, writing, “I believe inalways looking forwardand keeping your eye on the prize … But, this morning I took a pause for self reflection," she wrote. “It’s important to look back once in awhile and remind yourself how far you’ve come and what a badass you truly are. #strength #liveinthemoment 🙋🏼♀️”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
source: people.com