Valerie Bertinelli marks two years of being divorced with powerful post: ‘It does get better’
Valerie Bertinelli is looking on the bright side of divorce — and her fans couldn’t be more grateful for her candor.
The actor and TV personality, 64, appeared to celebrate the two-year anniversary of her divorce from ex-husband Tom Vitale in an emotional post Nov. 22 on Instagram.
Bertinelli shared the image of a message reading, “I didn’t know how I was going to get through it, but I knew that somehow I would.”
She got personal in her caption, writing, “And I did! Today marks two years of freedom. Two years of walking through self doubt and doing my best to get to the other side.”
“Two years of knowing that I didn’t deserve to tolerate the intolerable,” she wrote. “Two years of working through shame and self loathing ….Two years of working to find my true self.”
“Two years of eventually dipping my toe in and feeling love again. (Thank you, Mike),” she wrote, acknowledging recent ex-boyfriend Mike Goodnough with a heart emoji.
Bertinelli went on to say she’s spent the last two years “confronting past demons and traumas” because she wanted to be the “best” and “most authentic” version of herself as she embarks on what she called “this last chapter” of her life.
“I am learning that until I love myself and accept myself, all of me, my dark and light sides, I can never give someone else the love and emotional vulnerability that they need and deserve,” she wrote. “You must give it to yourself first so that you can share it. Whoo boy. I’m workin on it.”
Bertinelli concluded by thanking her friends, family and fans for their support. “I’m grateful for your feedback. I’m grateful for your compassion,” she told her followers before urging them to stay hopeful.
“Most importantly, I want you to know that if you’re struggling right now, I’ve been there and some days I can still be there but I want you to know it does get better,” she wrote.
“I promise you. It gets better. Some days will still be hard and challenging, but on other days, the light will shine brighter and you will feel it. I love you,” she added.
Bertinelli’s followers responded to her post by thanking her for her message of resilience.
“I can’t wait until I’m able to speak these words. I will cry a lot. But they’ll be happy tears,” wrote one who added, “You truly are an inspiration, Valerie.”
“Bravo! two years for me, too. Still working through it but so much light and hope now and ahead. And the relief! Continue to be well!” added another.
Many of Bertinelli’s followers thanked her for helping others to be optimistic during trying times, like one who wrote, “We’ll never know how many people will be changed by your heartfelt and deeply personal post today. Thank you for giving hope to others.”
Bertinelli announced in November 2022 that she was “happily divorced” from Vitale.
“I’m at the airport about to go see Wolfie and my lawyer just called. The papers were all signed. They’re about to be filed,” she said in a since-deleted selfie video on X.
“On 11/22/22, I am officially f—— divorced. Happily divorced. God, finally. It’s finally over,” she added, before laughing and adding an enthusiastic “Yes!”
Bertinelli tied the knot with Vitale on Jan. 1, 2011. She filed for legal separation in 2021, citing “irreconcilable differences.” She followed up by filing for divorce in May 2022.
Bertinelli was previously married from 1981 until 2007 to late rocker Eddie Van Halen, with whom she shares a son, musician Wolfgang Van Halen.
