Jennie Garth's March split from husband of 11 years Peter Facinelli hasn't been easy, but it taught her some valuable life lessons.
"At first, I wasn't sure how I was going to make it through, but I really learned that I am so much stronger than I thought I was," Garth, 40, said on The Ellen DeGeneres Show Friday. "And if I can help other women touch into that, you know, their strength. . ."
The actors — parents to daughters Luca, 14, Lola, 9, and Fiona, 5 — are "still a family of some kind," Garth explained. "We're still so committed to being there for our girls. That's the most important thing for us."
The CMT reality star — A Little Bit Country premieres Friday at 9 p.m. EST — said it's been difficult to talk about their divorce proceedings while promoting her new show.
"It's not something I'm dying to talk about, but it's something that's going on in my life. I'm not ashamed to talk about it," Garth said. "I think by being open and honest with what I'm going through, maybe it helps somebody else."
Nurse Jackie star Facinelli, 38, filed for divorce on March 28, citing "irreconcilable differences." He asked for joint physical and legal custody of their daughters, and both stars have agreed to pay legal fees.
According to insiders, Facinelli tried hard to save their marriage. "He loved being a family man," one source recently told Us Weekly. "It was not an easy decision, but they reached an impasse."
Facinelli's increasing fame — due in part to his role in the Twilight films — irked Garth, said the source. "Her career hit a standstill, and she became resentful."
