Peter Facinelli exclusively told E! News why he didn’t think twice about taking in his ex-wife Jennie Garth when she was evacuated due to the Los Angeles wildfires, saying, “I love her.”
After taking in Jennie Garth—who he was married to from 2001 to 2013—and her husband Dave Abrams when they were evacuated during the Los Angeles wildfires, the Twilight alum spoke out on why it was a no brainer to invite the Beverly Hills, 90210 alum into his home.
“When people are going through hard times, my door is always open,” Peter exclusively told E! News’ Francesca Amiker. “So, as much as it’s flattering for someone to say, ‘Hey, it was really noble of you to take your ex-wife and husband,’ I mean, I could never imagine saying no.”
And it was an especially easy decision considering his close bond with Jennie, with whom he shares daughters Luca, 27, Lola, 22, and Fiona, 18.
“I love her,” Peter continued. “She’s the mother of my kids. I consider her a friend. I consider her husband a friend.”
In fact, the Nurse Jackie actor—who is also dad to son Jack, 2, with Lily Anne Harrison—felt like being with Jennie, Dave and all of their children made it a lot easier to cope with the devastation of the fires, which burned over 40,000 acres of land after breaking out on Jan. 7, killing 29 people and destroying thousands of homes, including those of Paris Hilton, Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore and Anna Faris.
“It was actually kind of nice to be able to go through an experience and have that support of this blended family being together,” Peter shared. “It was like, ‘You guys could stay as long as you like.’ We all kind of were in the same boat watching thousands of houses burn down, which was such a tragic loss for so many people.”
Thankfully, Jennie’s home wound up remaining safe from the fires, which, in addition to Peter’s hospitality, left her feeling overwhelmed with gratitude.
Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images
“So grateful for Peter for letting us stay at his house, me and all the girls and the dogs and Dave,” Jennie said in a tearful video shared to Instagram Jan. 9. “Our home made it through the night, and we are feeling so blessed and so fortunate and so lucky.”
And the What I Like About You actress—who tied the knot with Dave in 2015—noted that she hoped to help others who were less fortunate in the aftermath of the natural disaster.
“Our home was spared but so much to clean up and ready to get active to help our neighbors and friends and fellow Angelinos,” Jennie added. “Dave has been amazing transporting all our bags and boxes, loading and unloading. just keep everyone here who is suffering in your heart and prayers.”
Read on for what other celebrities have said about the tragic wildfires in Southern California.
