Jennie Garth is finally putting a name to the physical discomfort she’s dealt with for years. 

The 54-year-old Beverly Hills, 90210 alum recently shared that she’s been living with an undiagnosed medical condition that’s made her past alcohol consumption physically painful.

A Surprising Reaction 

In a recent interview, Garth revealed that she has celiac disease. “I just found out I’m celiac and I didn’t even know it,” she told People. 


Looking back, the actress realized her body was throwing up red flags long before she officially got tested. 

“I’ve been suffering for years since the days when I would drink a beer, but I didn’t know that meant that my body was having, like, an aversion to it or [a] reaction to it,” she continued.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition where the body essentially attacks itself after consuming gluten. According to the Celiac Disease Foundation, celiac disease affects one in 100 people worldwide, but only 30% of people are properly diagnosed. 

A Breaking Point 

Garth has previously spoken out about her struggles with substance abuse, an issue that escalated during her divorce from Peter Facinelli. 

Garth admitted that the breakup left her feeling “tormented” for years. “I noticed my light really dimming,” she shared. “I wasn’t putting off good vibes.”

In her memoir, I Choose Me: Chasing Joy, Finding Purpose, and Embracing Reinvention, she wrote about a night when she mixed alcohol and pills to the point of needing her stomach pumped. Following that hospital visit, she checked into the Canyon Ranch rehab center to break the cycle of self-medicating. 

Choosing Wellness 

Today, Garth lives a sober life with her husband, Dave Abrams. 

She also credits working with a naturopath and using hormone replacement therapy to manage another health challenge: menopause. 

“I’m on hormone replacement therapy,” she said. “I’m on the trifecta. I take estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone on the daily,” adding, “It does help me. I sleep through the night.”

She’s also spoken out about having two hip surgeries to treat osteoarthritis, to help erase the stigma around joint replacement and aging. 

“I had wished during my journey of the first surgery that I could share my experience with people because there’s such a stigma around getting any of your joints replaced,” she continued. “This is something that doesn’t just affect 80-year-olds.”

Now, armed with the truth about her autoimmune disorder, she finally has answers for the physical pain she’s endured for so long. 

“It all comes down to people-pleasing,” Garth told People in April. “Once you really get to the core of what you want for your life? That’s when everything seems to get easier.”



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