Jennie Garth Says She Thought Luke Perry Called Her Phone One Year After His Death

Nearly one year after Perry died, Garth says she’s mourning her former Beverly Hills, 90210 costar and hasn’t let his death fully “sink in.”

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“The reality of it, I kind of refuse to let it sink in. It doesn’t seem real, you know?” she told Access Hollywood.

Holding back tears, Garth, 47, recalled an especially difficult moment when she thought Perry called her phone, only to then have to face the harsh reality of the situation.

“Just yesterday, I saw a phone number pop on my phone, and I thought it said LP – and it didn’t, it said JP,” she added. “It was someone else, but for that second, it was hard.”

Image zoom Jennie Garth and Luke Perry Albert Michael/StarTraks

Perry was hospitalized last year after suffering a massive stroke on Feb. 27. He died five days later. He was 52.

Perry’s rep announced the actor’s death in a statement, saying he was “surrounded by his children Jack and Sophie, fiancée Wendy Madison Bauer, ex-wife Minnie Sharp, mother Ann Bennett, step-father Steve Bennett, brother Tom Perry, sister Amy Coder, and other close family and friends.”

At the time of his death, Garth told PEOPLE that the actor “meant so much to so many.”

“My heart is broken. He meant so much to so many,” she said. “Such a very special person. I share my deep sadness with his family and all who loved him. Such a terrible loss.”

Last May, Garth posted a sweet tribute to Perry on Instagram, sharing a photo of a street sign that reminded her of the actor.

“Sometimes there are just signs…” she captioned a photo of a stoplight on McKay Road.