Tori Spelling Says She Hopes to ‘Take the Hard Out’ of Divorce from Dean McDermott: ‘It’s Evolving’ (Exclusive)

Tori Spelling attends the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards at Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California on April 1, 2024. PHOTO: JESSE GRANT/GETTY

The ‘Beverly Hills, 90210’ alum made her first public appearance at the iHeartMusic Awards on Monday after filing for divorce from Dean McDermott

Tori Spelling is starting a fresh chapter after filing for divorce from Dean McDermott.

At the iHeartMusic Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Monday night, the Beverly Hills, 90210 alum, 50, told PEOPLE on the red carpet that she is adjusting to a new normal, saying, “I definitely want to redefine it and take the hard out of it. And I feel like it’s an evolving time and it’s the appropriate time in life and shifts happen in life for a reason and you just keep going. You move forward and you do your one thing.”

When asked about she navigating public opinion about the split, she responded, “The public has always had something to say about me since I was born. So now I get to tell my own story on my podcast misSPELLING…so I’m very excited.”

Spelling promised she will be “telling my story, my version, my whole thing with anything” on the podcast, adding, “Whether it’s my books [or] my podcast, I keep it authentic and I always tell it from my side in my perspective and it’s my story.”

Tori Spelling attends the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards at Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California on April 1, 2024. JESSE GRANT/GETTY

The actress cited irreconcilable differences as the reason behind their split in documents obtained by PEOPLE. The misSPELLING podcast host listed their official date of separation as June 17, 2023. She requested the court to award her spousal support and terminate McDermott’s ability to receive the same.

That June date was the same day McDermott announced that the couple had decided to go their separate ways in a statement that was later deleted from his Instagram.

“It’s with great sadness and a very very heavy heart that after 18 years together and 5 amazing children, that @torispelling and I have decided to go our separate ways, and start a new journey of our own,” he wrote at the time.

Following the filing, Spelling and McDermott, 57, have both publicly spoken about their divorce. On Monday, she shared in the debut episode of her podcast, misSPELLING, that she wanted to file for divorce for “like… 15 years.”

Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott. RODIN ECKENROTH/GETTY IMAGES

The actress revealed to listeners that she held back from filing in an effort to “protect” McDermott from hurt, as well as their kids — Liam Aaron McDermott, 17, Stella Doreen, 15, Hattie Margaret, 12, Finn Davey, 11 and Beau Dean, 7. (Spelling asked for sole physical custody of their children and joint legal custody with McDermott’s visitation rights to be determined at a later date.)

“We always say, ‘Hey, it made it 18 years. It shouldn’t have made it 18 years,” Spelling said. “And I think he would say the same thing if he and I had a real heart-to-heart. It would have been over a lot sooner.”

After her podcast premiered, McDermott noted that he’s doing “good” amid the divorce news, per a video obtained by the Daily Mail. “It’s been a long time coming but T and I are good,” he added.

“It’s been pretty rocky for everyone, but Tori is finding her way,” a source told PEOPLE over the weekend.

“She’s getting used to being a single mom. She’s checking off boxes for her priorities,” added the insider. “Her main focus was to find a new home for her kids, and they now have a rental. She takes things day by day for now.”

Both Spelling and McDermott have moved on in recent months. Spelling was spotted kissing Ryan Cramer, the CEO of Santa Monica-based agency Neuron Syndicate Inc., while McDermott is seeing new girlfriend Lily Calo.