Tori Spelling honored her stepson on his 21st birthday.
"I've known this guy since he was almost 7. I loved when we met bc he had no idea who I was," she wrote on Instagram, praising Dean McDermott's eldest son, Jack Montgomery. "And, I don't mean tori spelling, but the woman his dad was dating. He was going thru so much and his mom and dad were trying their best to navigate a very difficult situation for a boy his age. Divorce."
Initially, she said, they bonded over dogs, school projects, tag and video games. Unbeknownst to him, he even called her "Teri," something she didn't correct. Then, however, the two grew apart, and Tori and Jack, who Dean shares with his ex-wife Mary Jo Eustace, often didn't exactly see eye to eye on things.
"I then remember the years as I watched this young boy grow to be a pre teen and a teen and try to figure out his role in our blended family. Then came years of awkwardness. He was quiet. I was quiet. It was new to me and I never wanted to push my role in his life," she wrote. "I've loved him since he was that little boy that called me Teri and played Polly Pockets with me."
Then something happened in 2015 to change Jack and Tori's somewhat strained relationship: he came out as gay.
"I was so proud of his confidence. He was who he was and he was proud of it. And, then we bonded again. We found each other on a new level with a whole new respect for each other," Tori wrote. "I'm so proud of the amazing human he is. He is so smart, kind, funny, unique, sweet, confident, and driven. His scream, smile, and laugh are contagious and his style is fierce. He makes no apologies for who he is. And who he uniquely is … Is Jack Montgomery McDermott. Someone who is an inspiration. Someone who has overcome many challenges thru out his young life and comes out on top no matter what."
She ended her post by calling him a "fighter and a beautiful human."