Jennie Garth harbored no fondness for any aspect of her visit to the doctor. During an episode of her podcast "I Choose Me" on August 26th, the former "What I Like About You" star unveiled a harrowing teenage experience: during a clinic visit accompanied by her mother, Carolyn Garth, she was mistakenly informed that she was pregnant. "Mom went along to help me get on birth control," Jennie clarified to her 18-year-old daughter Fiona, from her marriage to Peter Facinelli. "I had a boyfriend and wanted to play it safe; I wasn't ready for a baby."
The 53-year-old actress, clarifying that her then-partner was not the "Twilight" star, admitted that while the appointment was intended to "explore birth control options," her mother was unaware of her sexual activity. Instead, the contraception was framed as a solution for irregular periods. "I took a urine test," she recounted. "Sitting there in the clinician's office with Mom, we eagerly awaited her diagnosis. She came in and declared, 'You're pregnant.' I was like, 'What?' The secret was out in an instant."
"I turned bright red, hot and sweaty, not knowing what to do," she continued. "In that awkward moment, I had to confess to Mom about my sexual encounters and the lies I'd been feeding her." Unfortunately, Jennie's doctor arrived too late to rectify the erroneous results.
"It turned out to be someone else's urine test," shared the "Beverly Hills, 90210" actress. "Cut to me and Mom having an emotional meltdown... Then she came back and said, 'Oh, oops! That wasn't your urine, it was someone else's.'"
Though Jennie admitted to being "furious" when the clinician updated them post the uncomfortable revelation, she saw it as a learning experience. "It was far more traumatic and dramatic than if I'd just come clean with Mom," she conceded. "But I was too scared to confide in her, to the extent of lying and concealing the truth."
Jennie, who also has daughters Luca, 27, and Lola, 22, with Peter, kept this lesson in mind when raising her own daughters. Fiona has appreciated the open dialogue she shares with her mother on this topic. "I remember asking if we could sit down and chat about it," the teenager recalled on the podcast. "Initially, I was nervous about disclosing it was for sexual purposes."
Eventually, Jennie and Fiona agreed that consulting a gynecologist for an "open, honest conversation" was best. "I believe it's crucial to open communication channels because there's nothing you shouldn't discuss with your mom," emphasized the "Secret Santa" actress. "There's no embarrassment, no shame. It's a natural aspect that deserves comfort and openness."
