Actress Jennie Garth is best known for her role as Kelly Taylor on the popular TV series Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990–2000).
The actress recently spoke to Self about two hip replacement surgeries she had undergone due to being diagnosed with osteoarthritis. Her parents and sisters also have been diagnosed with osteoarthritis.
According to The Mayo Clinic, Osteoarthritis is the most prevalent form of arthritis, impacting millions globally. “It occurs when the protective cartilage that cushions the ends of the bones wears down over time.”.
While osteoarthritis can affect any joint, it most often targets the hands, knees, hips, and spine.
Although joint damage from osteoarthritis is irreversible, its symptoms can typically be managed. Staying physically active, maintaining a healthy weight, and receiving appropriate treatments may help slow the disease’s progression and improve joint function and pain management.
The risk of developing osteoarthritis increases with age and the risk is higher for women per The Mayo Clinic.
The actress had her first hip surgery at 48 years old and a second surgery this year at age 52.
Garth said in the SELF interview, “I’ve lived with hip pain for a very long time. I’ve kept it a secret for so long, but I’m no longer at a place where I want to hide things. 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. This is something that doesn’t just affect 80-year-olds.”
“These two operations have helped me learn to appreciate my body and physical abilities so much more. I’m such a nurturing person and love taking care of people, so it’s helped me shift gears and start to take a little bit better care of myself too—or allow others to step in.”
Garth is grateful to her husband Dave Abrams for his support throughout her health struggles. The couple has been married since 2015.
“He’s always thinking of how he can make me happy and make the day go better. I’ve been so grateful for the generosity of his spirit throughout all of this. It also helped me come to an epiphany that my physical state has nothing to do with my spirit, and no matter what physical condition.”
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“On one ski trip in particular, I was in so much pain that I had to sit in the lodge and wait for them. That was very upsetting, as I felt like my quality of life was diminishing. I didn’t want to be someone who couldn’t do the things she loved with her family. Plus, my husband is nine years younger than me and very fit. I didn’t want to be married to a younger man and start to break down. The whole trip was eye-opening,” the actress said.
“Back in 2020 when I had my initial MRI, the doctors wanted to focus on my left hip because it seemed worse off than the right. But in 2024, when I was 52, that right hip also started to click. When they took a look to see what was going on, they realized it had somehow gotten worse than my left hip ever was. 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.”
Her recovery period for the second period was much longer even though the surgery went well.
“The whole experience was, and still is, so discouraging. I haven’t had this second hip that long, and I really have to baby it. Both my mom and dad had a single hip replaced, so I thought that might be the case for me too, the actress revealed to SELF.”
“There are some scary and disappointing changes, like when you start to see and feel aging, but don’t be afraid of that. It’s a part of who you are moving forward.”
She talked about her former castmates who passed away “at such early ages really drives me to stay super active and do everything in my power to remain healthy. People put off taking care of themselves at all costs until they just can’t put it off anymore. When something hurts, go to a doctor and do whatever you can to alleviate the pain because you don’t have to live in pain. Listen to and respect your body, because this is the body we came into the world with and it’s the body we’re going to grow old with—and we have to take care of it,” Garth concluded.
