Tori Spelling is doing some deep thinking about whether or not she’s a hoarder but isn’t quite ready to do any deep cleaning.
In a recent episode of her “90210mg” podcast, the former “90210” cast member discussed her pack rat tendencies with Dr. Robin Zasio, a psychologist who has been featured on the A&E series “Hoarders.”
Spelling admitted that she has an emotional connection to various items and that makes it hard to get rid of stuff. However, she went back and forth on whether she’s actually a hoarder.
“I refer to myself as a hoarder all the time. I would love to redefine that word,” she said. “I’m going into my next chapter, redefining a lot of words that people have a specific connotation with or a definition. And even though I call myself a hoarder, I don’t know if I’m technically a hoarder.”
Despite her reticence to go full H-word, Spelling’s own behavior seems a little hoarder-ish, considering she admitted that she can’t even walk into her own garage.
Spelling said she believes her tendency to accumulate stuff comes from growing up in a wealthy family where “there was room for stuff accumulated” and also a need for storage units, a habit she continued when she went out on her own.
Last April, she revealed that she once had around 50 storage units that she said were the size of “shipping containers,” but ended up auctioning off some of the items to pay the $80,000 bill for renting the units.
“When I moved out on my own at almost 19 … I immediately was like, ’I need to get a storage unit. And all of the Christmas decorations go there. All the clothes I wear on “90210,”’” she said on “90210mg.” “I’m not getting rid of them. They’re going into a storage unit, which, you know, just kept going and going.”
As a result, she used to “have a really hard time letting go of things I placed emotional value on,” but also admitted being glad that she kept her clothing because her daughter can wear the outfits.
Zasio told Spelling that collecting things can become a problem when “that clutter is interfering with one’s life and the life of those around them.”
She suggested Spelling ask herself, “Is the stuff interfering with your personal well-being and the personal well-being of those around you, those that live with you? And are you also inhibiting people from coming over to your home, or your work, or your transportation, or whatever that is where you are not feeling comfortable because either you’re worried about judgment, you’re worried about what they’re going to say?”
Still, Spelling said she has no plans to tackle cleaning out her garage anytime soon.
“I don’t physically have the time. And I think a lot of what I call hoarding comes from my lack of time,” she said. “And when I do have time, it’s a vicious circle. Because with five kids now and being a single parent now, it’s hard. And my priority list, that’s not up there.”