Donna Martin's Virginity: A Defining Moment in Beverly Hills, 90210

In a recent episode of the 9021OMG podcast, actress Tori Spelling looked back on the iconic virginity storyline of her character Donna Martin on the hit 90s TV series Beverly Hills, 90210. Spelling played Donna, who famously remained a virgin until her last night of college in season 7 of the show, in sharp contrast to many of her peers.

Spelling reveals that she initially felt Donna's virginity was "a badge of honor" and a special symbolism for many viewers. However, as the show progressed, she was eager for the character to finally lose her virginity and move on with her story. "We're always talking about the same storyline. She can't, you know, move on story wise until we get to that point. So I remember when it was happening, I was like, 'Oh, finally,'" Spelling said.

The decision to keep Donna a virgin for so long was largely influenced by Spelling's late father, producer Aaron Spelling, who explicitly told the show's writers that Donna should remain a virgin. "I remember very clearly when he said to me, you know, that Donna should be a virgin," said producer Charles Rosin. "And it was like, 'Yes, absolutely she should.'"

Spelling acknowledged that having Donna wait until her wedding night in the series finale to lose her virginity would have been "too much stimulation for people to see." Instead, the character lost her virginity to her long-time boyfriend David (Brian Austin Green) in the penultimate season.