Valerie Bertinelli might have thought her dating days were over, but it turns out, life had other plans.
At 63, the actress best known for her role in “One Day at a Time” has found herself in an unexpected relationship. “I’ve met someone. And I’m incredibly grateful for him,” she shared with USA Today in a March 13 interview. This new love, she explains, is unlike anything she’s ever experienced before. “I feel incredibly blessed and lucky to have met him, because I wasn’t expecting it!”
Bertinelli was at peace with the idea of spending her life alone, surrounded by her pets. “He was not on my radar. I was prepared to live out my days with my six cats and my dog, content in my solitude. So, his arrival was a surprise, and a welcome one at that. He’s very special,” she expressed.
The fact that Bertinelli is openly talking about this new man in her life, whose identity remains a mystery, is a surprise even to her. “What was I thinking? … I can’t contain my happiness. It’s evident, and he’s a big reason why,” she admitted.
She hopes her story will inspire others. “The work you do on yourself is what can lead you to meet someone special, like I have. This wouldn’t have been possible a few years ago. I’m incredibly lucky to have met him and to have connected with him,” Bertinelli reflected.
After divorcing Tom Vitale in 2022, following 11 years of marriage, Bertinelli was quite open about her reluctance to jump back into the dating scene. In June of the previous year, she declared on Instagram that she wasn’t looking to date anytime soon.
In June 2022, shortly after filing for divorce, she expressed contentment with being single for the rest of her life. “I am gonna be more than happy to be happily divorced and spend the rest of my life alone,” she told Hoda Kotb on TODAY. “I’ll be happy that way. With my six cats, my dog, my son, and hopefully, one day, grandchildren.”
Kotb inquired if Bertinelli could ever see herself looking for that special someone again. “Oh God, no,” she replied. “Divorce is tough. I can’t imagine ever trusting someone enough to let them into my life again. I have trust issues I’ll need to overcome.”
Vitale was Bertinelli’s second husband. Her first marriage was to the late Van Halen guitarist Eddie Van Halen, which lasted from 1981 until their divorce in 2007.