It’s not surprising to hear thatValerie Bertinellimeans a lot of things to everyone.
That’s just the kind of celebrity that she has always been.
And while many dabble in different genres, Bertinelli pursued just about anything that felt right.
Bertinelli did all these while dealing with heartbreak, divorce, and loss in the public eye.
And she faced all these head-on while also raising a son.
The circumstances that led to his death were also shocking.
Instead of soda, however, the bottle contained poison.
His death was ruled accidental, due to the “ingestion of D.D.T.
In the 1940s, DDT began being used as an insecticide to reduce the spread of insect-borne diseases.
In 1972, theEPAissued a cancellation order against its use as it poses many serious health and environmental risks.
Since then, DDT has also been classified as a “probable human carcinogen.”
“The subject was too painful.
My parents kept the tragedy locked inside,” she told People.
At one point, the family settled down in Van Nuys, California.
The closer she got to Hollywood, the more Bertinelli realized that she could be a star one day.
It all began when she met a girl whose father was a television producer.
When she got home, she spoke with her parents about acting school.
Coincidentally, Bertinelli’s mom also chanced upon an ad for the Tami Lynn Academy of Artists.
Just like that, she already felt closer.
Soon, Bertinelli started attending acting school with Tami Lynn herself as her teacher.
At that time, she had only been attending acting school for six months.
Just like that, Bertinelli found herself doing an Easter commercial for department store chain JCPenney.
It was still work after all.
Instead, she struggled to book other roles soon after.
However, it was still all she could think about.
“I was more serious about acting than I’d previously thought,” shewrotein her book later on.
And while she didn’t land anything right way, she eventually started booking more commercials.
These include one for Wyler’s lemonade, StarKist tuna, and a brand of corn chips.
Then, it happened: Bertinelli booked her first proper TV job.
It also led to an important realization.
Her breakout role came at 15
Sometimes, in Hollywood, it matters who you know.
Murray thought that Bertinelli looked like Lear’s youngest daughter and asked to have the actress audition.
“We were almost able to work something out,” the actress toldEntertainment Weekly.
Nonetheless, she was determined to keep going.
Bertinelli also wanted to venture onto the big screen.
Bertinelli eventually landed a role in the TV movie “Young Love, First Love.”
Grossbart added, “The part was a young girl coming to terms with her sexuality.
We said, ‘This she should do, even if she’s not paid a lot of money.’
The point was to get something under her belt that was different.”
would fail at the box office, but it wouldn’t stop Bertinelli from scoring more roles, nonetheless.
In the years that followed, the actress went on to do more television movies.
After seeing Eddie Van Halen’s photo, she decided to go.
WhenBertinelli and Van Halen finally met backstage, sparks flew and the two soon started dating.
Just a year later, they tied the knot.
“I don’t know why he didn’t like me.
I mean, I was always nice to him.
I honestly don’t know,” she once said on the “Literally!
With Rob Lowe” podcast (viaToday).
Years after getting married,Bertinelli and Van Halen welcomed a son, Wolfgang, in 1991.
He would prove to be an incredible musician, just like his father.
Wolfgang later joined his dad’s band and became their bassist.
At that time, he was only 15.
Wolfgang also later scored a Grammy nod for best rock song.
It was a bit of a struggle at first.
The show only lasted one season.
On the show, executive producer Martha Williamson wrote Bertinelli in as its latest angel, Gloria.
“We never, ever seriously considered another person,” she even toldEntertainment Weekly.
“It’s a nice reminder every day that God is around us,” the actress said.
As they drifted apart, Bertinelli also revealed that she once discovered Van Halen having an affair.
She also overheard him confessing to his other woman that he wanted to end their marriage.
Despite this, they stayed together, even as Bertinelli became unfaithful herself.
Eventually, however, it all proved to be too much for the couple.
Bertinelli and Van Halen split up in 2001before getting divorced in 2007.
Bertinelli would later explain that they decided to split for the sake of their son, Wolfgang.
And while they were no longer together, the former couple maintained an amicable relationship.
Seeing herself onscreen made her realize how much weight she had already put on.
That said, she knew very well how she got there.
And at that time, she looked to jalapeno and cheese poppers for comfort.
By 2007, she already weighed 172 pounds.
That’s when Bertinelli realized that she had to do something about it.
At the urging of her friend Kirstie Alley, she agreed to sign on a spokeswoman for Jenny Craig.
“Valerie, it’s not about the weight.
Meanwhile, Bertinelli has also written several other books since then.
Over the years, Bertinelli has also worked on several recipe books.
Just like that, the women decided to stay in Cleveland.
By the time creator Suzanne Martin had reached out to Bertinelli, White had already signed on.
“Hot in Cleveland” went on for six seasons.
During its run, the show nabbed seven Emmy nominations and one win.
Meanwhile, Bertinelli never got over TV Land canceling the show.
In 2004, her brother, Patrick, introduced her to businessman Tom Vitale.
Both were divorced and both had Italian roots.
They were a perfect match.
“We just understood each other completely,” Vitale even toldAARP.
“My family is her family.
It wasn’t love at first sight; it was family at first sight.”
“He loved me no matter what.
In his way, he’s teaching me to love myself just as I am.”
She also filed for divorce from Vitale in 2022, citing irreconcilable differences.
Bertinelli later settled, agreeing to pay her former husband $2.2 million.
Since then, the actress has also said that she’s done with romance.
But she also had another job already waiting for her.
“Some people had CNN on, I had the Food web link going on all the time.
To be on it now is really surreal.”
“I got a text by a third party on Friday that told me I would not be back.
LOL I was basically ghosted,” she posted onXon January 21, 2024.
Since her divorce from Tom Vitale, Bertinelli has also been more focused on taking care of herself.
Since then, she’s also been happier with herself and her relationship with food.
“I have stopped counting calories, and I stopped thinking of certain foods as good or bad.
I quit saying no and began saying yes.
And I let myself indulge,” Bertinelli toldPeople.
