Jennie Garth opens up about IVF struggles and hip replacement surgeries

Jennie Garth, known from the series "Beverly Hills, 90210," openly discussed her hip replacement surgery and the difficult experiences related to in vitro fertilization. In a video interview for the magazine "Self," the actress shared her story of trying to get pregnant via in vitro just before a short separation from her husband, Dave Abrams, in 2018.

"[We] were trying to have a baby, and it kept failing," the actress revealed. "And that was really, really hard on both of us individually and on our relationship," she added. The frustration and constant tension caused the couple to break up. Fortunately, they quickly realized they could also form a family without a child. "After several unsuccessful rounds, Garth explained, she and Abrams decided to let go of the possibility of having kids together—a decision that 'freed us up to love each other in a different way,'" Jennie confessed as "Self" reports.

Garth, who has three children with her ex-husband Peter Facinelli, also described her struggles with hip pain, which started after years of horseback riding and dancing. The symptoms gradually became more severe until the pain was so intense that she couldn't even walk her dogs. Doctors discovered she had osteoporosis in her thumbs, knees, and hips. At 48, she felt her "quality of life was diminishing." She was told her left hip joint needed replacement as the surrounding tissues were deteriorating.

The actress wanted to return to normal as soon as possible and asked for the first available surgery date. Despite the difficulties related to the pandemic, she was eventually able to undergo surgery on her left hip. After the operation, she could return to normal activities, such as daily chores. "In the few years following that surgery, I felt like Bionic Woman—there was nothing I couldn’t do," she revealed.

Unfortunately, the pain also appeared in her right hip. "When they took a look to see what was going on, they realized it had somehow gotten worse than my left hip ever was," Garth recalls. "I felt excruciating pain with every step — I’d be unable to get down on the ground or get back up. Given the success of my brand-new hip, I knew it was a no-brainer: I needed to get the other joint operated on," said Jennie in the interview. The actress underwent the second surgery in March 2024. "[The surgery] went well, but it took a lot longer to heal," summarized the star about her health struggles.