Candy Spelling is embracing a fresh moment in the spotlight — at 80.
The Broadway producer, mother to Beverly Hills, 90210 alum Tori Spelling and son Randy, and the widow of late television producer Aaron Spelling, spoke about her life and career in a new cover interview with Westlake Malibu Lifestyle Magazine, published Jan. 11.
After the cover surfaced online, it drew a wave of comments on Instagram. Many fans remarked on her notably youthful look, saying it felt different from how she has appeared in recent red carpet photos.
Some commenters even said the image reminded them of other public figures, including Trisha Paytas, Real Housewives star Gizelle Bryant, and Khloé Kardashian.
In the interview, Spelling also reflected on meeting Aaron when she was in her early 20s.
“There was something indescribable between us from the moment we met,” she said. “It was a profound connection. I remember feeling like we could see something in each other that no one else could. We danced… and during one of the dances, Aaron said, ‘I’m going to marry you some day’.”
The pair dated exclusively for the next couple of years and married in November 1968.
“I was a young girl when I married the hardest-working television writer in Hollywood. Fortunately for me, my new husband’s talents at the typewriter were matched by his kindness and generous spirit,” Spelling said of Aaron, who created hit series including Beverly Hills, 90210, Fantasy Island, The Love Boat, and more.
The couple later welcomed two children: Tori in 1973 and Randy in 1978. Both appeared in their father’s productions, with Tori becoming a breakout star on Beverly Hills, 90210.
Spelling said she was able to “overcome emotional obstacles” with Aaron’s “loving support,” while raising their children and maintaining stability at home as his Hollywood career kept moving at full speed.
Aaron died in June 2006 at age 83 at the family’s mansion near Beverly Hills, with Spelling by his side.
“When Aaron died, I not only lost my life partner, but I was also suddenly missing the force of nature who had defined me and our family,” she said. “For the first time in 38 years, I had to learn to function in the big, scary world on my own.”
In the years that followed, Spelling carved out a new chapter. She starred in and executive produced Selling Spelling Manor in 2012, which she said broke ratings records for HGTV.
She also found a long-running creative lane on Broadway, earning multiple Tony nominations and wins. Over time, she co-produced productions including Promises, Promises, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, After Midnight, and The Color Purple.
“I’m most proud of the two Tony Awards that I’ve won,” she said. “They always make me smile when I walk into my den and right along next to my husband’s Emmys are my two Tonys. We have a little mixture going there – Moulin Rouge! The Musical and The Color Purple.”
