NEWS'Paralyzed' Jennie Garth Recalls Being 'Unable to Speak' After '90210' Costar Luke Perry's 'Devastating' Fatal Heart Attack
Jennie Garth recalled being ‘paralyzed’ and ‘unable to speak’ following the 'devastating' death of her ‘Beverly Hills, 90210’ costar Luke Perry.
April 8 2026, Published 7:24 p.m. ET
Jennie Garth revealed how deeply she struggled to accept the death of her Beverly Hills, 90210 costar Luke Perry.
"Losing Luke shook me to my core," Garth, 54, wrote in her memoir, I Choose Me: Chasing Joy, Finding Purpose, and Embracing Reinvention, which hit bookshelves on April 1. "I felt paralyzed, unable and unwilling to speak. It was too big to comprehend, to devastating to accept."
Jennie Garth Struggled to Accept Luke Perry's Death
Jennie Garth and Luke Perry played onscreen love interests on 'Beverly Hills, 90210.'
Perry died at age 52 on March 4, 2018, following a massive stroke at his home in Sherman Oaks, Calif.
He was best known for his role as Dylan McKay on Beverly Hills, 90210 and Fred Andrews on Riverdale.
Garth and Perry played onscreen love interests in the '90s teen drama, which aired from 1990 to 2000.
Jennie Garth Called Luke Perry Her 'First True Love'
Jennie Garth said there was something 'real' in her connection with Luke Perry.
The series centered on a pair of twins from Minnesota who moved to affluent Beverly Hills, and followed their struggles to fit in with their wealthy peers at West Beverly High School.
"I do think he was my first true love. We had a very special relationship," she said in her book, describing his lingering kisses and flirtatious squeezes. "When Kelly was falling for Dylan, I was falling for Luke."
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Jennie Garth Hinted at Something 'Real' With Luke Perry
Jennie Garth confessed that her onscreen romance translated with Luke Perry offscreen.
The Growing Pains star hinted there was something real behind their love scenes and it got complicated when Perry flirted with guest stars on the show.
“Everyone imagined him as their first true love. But it really was confusing," she recalled. "It got a little blurry at times. There were a lot of intimate conversations and moments between these two characters, and I think I got caught up in it and I allowed myself to think that it was real.”
Jennie Garth and Luke Perry Remained 'Great Friends'
Jennie Garth revealed that she and Luke Perry 'remained great friends' after the show wrapped in 2000.
Garth said they remained "really great friends" following their time on Beverly Hills, 90210, but admitted her onscreen romances eventually affected her outlook on love.
“It had a huge impact on my view of love and relationships," she wrote. "My character was caught up in a lot of love triangles. And even Brandon ended up being unfaithful to Kelly. Of all people, Brandon Walsh! So there were so many messages of, ‘It’s risky to love, it’s dangerous to love someone.’ So I lived my life pretty guarded in the relationship world. Until I found that that didn’t work for me either.”
