Jennie Garth Takes Unusual Approach To Finalizing Divorce

Jennie Garth has a few things to learn about how a Hollywood divorce is supposed to go down.

The 40-year-old actress this week completed her divorce from 39-year-old actor Peter Facinelli, a split that could have turned ugly. There had been allegations of infidelity as the 11-year marriage came to an end, and Garth was quite vocal about how crushed she was when the relationship crashed.

But then a strange thing happened as it came time to complete the terms of the divorce. Instead of the typical showbiz knock-down, drag-out divorce, Jennie Garth and Peter Facinelli took a civil approach. Neither one sought spousal payment, and they came to an informal agreement to share custody of their three daughters — 15-year-old Luca Bella, 10-year-old Lola Ray, and 6-year-old Fiona Eve.

Part of it could have to do with the serenity Jennie Garth seemed to find after her marriage ended. She lost 30 pounds, opened up about the relationship, and even started dating again.

“This threw me for a loop,” she said on an episode of her reality show Jennie Garth: A Little Bit Country last year. “It’s weird and sad, but I really realized through this whole experience how much I loved him, how deeply I loved him and how deeply I loved us.”

The couple had filed for divorce in March 2012, citing irreconcilable differences. In announcing the split, Jennie Garth and Peter Facinelli seemed to indicate that they would be going for a civil approach.

“While we have decided to end our marriage, we both share the same deep love and devotion to our children. We remain dedicated to raising our beautiful daughters together,” the couple said in a joint statement. “We ask for privacy and respect during this time.”

Jennie Garth is back in the dating game now, and appears to be getting serious with boyfriend Jeremy Salken, drummer for the electronica band Big Gigantic.