Ian Ziering‘s time in the public eye has come with its fair share of ups and downs.
Ziering is best known for his role as Steve Sanders on Beverly Hills, 90210, which ran from 1990 to 2000. After the show came to an end, Ziering continued to act but pivoted to more voiceover roles on Spider-Man: The New Animated Series and Biker Mice From Mars, among others. He later saw a career resurgence from playing Fin in the Sharknado film series.
Off screen, Ziering went through multiple marriages — and divorces — before becoming a father of two. He made headlines in December 2023 when a video surfaced of Ziering allegedly being attacked by bikers following an apparent road rage incident.
The actor issued a public apology at the time, calling out “a larger issue of hooliganism on our streets” in a lengthy Instagram message. The bikers were subsequently arrested in connection to the altercation. One year later, a civil complaint was filed against Ziering, accusing him of verbal and physical assault.
Keep scrolling for Ziering’s ups and downs through the years:
‘Beverly Hills, 90210’ Fame
Two years after graduating from college in 1988, Ziering booked the role of Steve Sanders on Beverly Hills, 90210. Ziering was introduced as Brandon Walsh’s (Jason Priestley) friend and remained on the hit show until its finale in 2000.
His Career
Ziering continued to consistently score TV roles in projects including Mighty Ducks, Godzilla: The Series, the Sharknado TV films and Swamp Thing before returning for BH90210.
Despite booking roles over the years, a 2004 op-ed from Today alleged there’s “one actor whose career is destined to die with the show” for nearly every long-running series, citing Ziering as the culprit for Beverly Hills, 90210. The article went on to explain the concept of “The Ziering,” which is an actor trying — and failing — to find their next big project after becoming a household name.
‘Dancing With the Stars’ Ups and Downs
Ziering was paired with Cheryl Burke on season 4 of DWTS in 2007. He made it to the semifinals but was eliminated before the finale. Nearly a decade later, Burke claimed that working with Ziering “made me want to slit my wrists,” which she later apologized for.
“I sent him an email, like, a couple of years ago when I did a YouTube — I think it was during, like, right after the [coronavirus] pandemic or toward the end of it,” Burke told The New York Post in 2023, clarifying that there are “no hard feelings” between her and Ziering. “I just wanted to publicly apologize. But before I publicly apologized, I wanted to just to do it personally.”
Burke said that Ziering had a “short and sweet” response to her apology but noted there was “a lot to discuss” between them. Ziering, for his part, never publicly addressed Burke’s criticism of their time together on DWTS.
Marriage to Nikki Schieler
After finding love with Schieler, the duo exchanged vows in 1997. The Playboy model, who converted to Judaism for Ziering, slammed him while speaking to Entertainment Weekly in November 2005, three years after filing for divorce.
”Being a Ziering has crippled my career,” she told the outlet. ”People think I took him for all this money, but I didn’t get anything. I get no monthly checks. He didn’t even help with my moving-out expenses. I had $40,000 to my name and I blew through it all.”
Ziering’s rep denied her claims at the time, telling the magazine that Schieler “was compensated above and beyond the prenup because she fought it.”
Marriage to Erin Ludwig
Ziering got engaged to Ludwig in 2010, and they got married later that year. The pair welcomed daughters Mia in 2011 and Penna in 2013. After nine years of marriage, Ziering announced their separation, and their divorce was finalized in 2022.
Defending the Lack of Tribute for Shannen Doherty
Ziering and Doherty worked together on Beverly Hills, 90210 before the actress died in 2024 following a lengthy battle with cancer. One year later, Ziering took to social media to address why he didn’t honor his costar publicly.
“When she died a year ago, I didn’t post anything. And yes, some people criticized that,” he wrote. “To them I say: grief isn’t a performance. It’s personal. Let people grieve how they grieve.”
He continued: “I miss Shannen. We clashed now and then in the early years of 90210—two strong personalities will do that—but we always had respect. … So, my dear Shannen—I think of you often. Your grit. Your fire. Your kind heart that so few really got to see. I still carry all of it with me. Rest easy, Shan. ❤️.”
Many celebrity splits have rocked Hollywood over the years, including Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin as well as Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan. Tatum and Dewan’s love story began on the set of 2006’s Step Up, where they costarred as onscreen love interests. The duo tied the knot in 2009 and welcomed daughter Everly in 2013. […]
The Biker Altercation
Footage of an argument between Ziering and a group of bikers surfaced in December 2023 which showed the actor seemingly reacting to his car being hit. Ziering pushed one person and was then chased down by several other bikers and shoved into a parked car.
“Yesterday, I experienced an alarming incident involving a group of individuals on mini bikes,” he wrote via Instagram at the time. “While stuck in traffic, my car was approached aggressively by one of these riders leading to an unsettling confrontation. In an attempt to assess any damage I exited my car. This action, unfortunately, escalated into a physical altercation, which I navigated to protect myself.”
One year later, Hernandez claimed in a civil complaint that Ziering verbally and physically assaulted him during the incident. Hernandez accused Ziering of battery, assault, malicious prosecution, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence and negligent infliction of emotional distress.
Hernandez also alleged that Ziering leveraged his fame to win in the court of public opinion. He accused Ziering of giving law enforcement “misleading information” that led to Hernandez’s arrest in May 2024 for felony vandalism. (Hernandez was held on $50,000 bail and released. During his arraignment that June 2025, the District Attorney’s office said they weren’t moving forward with a criminal case against him.)
According to Hernandez, the incident caused “significant mental health issues,” extreme anxiety and panic attacks. Ziering, for his part, has yet to respond to the legal filing.
Hernandez is seeking compensatory and punitive damages and a jury trial.
