Valerie Bertinelli is worrying fans with a recent social media post in which she talks about wanting to numb her feelings with either alcohol or food, but knowing that she shouldn’t. In the post on Instagram, Bertinelli wrote, “Feel your feelings. Do your best not to numb them. Feelings are information. Ask them what they need. Feel them. Get to the other side.”
Advertisement
It’s not clear exactly what it is that sparked this moment for Bertinelli, but people online have thoughts about her candid videos in which she’s seen fighting back tears. Some are wondering if it could have to do with the death anniversary of Eddie Van Halen. Bertinelli was married to Eddie Van Halen for 26 years; they got divorced in 2007 and they share one child together, Wolfgang Van Halen. The five year anniversary of Eddie’s death is coming up in October.
Others thought it might have to do with Bertinelli’s split from her boyfriend, Mike Goodnough, in November 2024. Whatever the reason, some people didn’t have any sympathy with Bertinelli’s choice to share her distress online.
Valerie Bertinelli’s pain resonated with some on social media
But on the flip side, and even without knowing the reason, Valerie Bertinelli’s emotional videos were seen by some as truly relatable. Bertinelli has been open about her mental health, specifically her anxiety before, and like then, her honesty has connected with people. One person on X said of Bertinelli’s most recent video: “Valerie is incredibly brave & generous to share the video. Her story will resonate with so many people & they’ll feel less alone in their struggles. Our world is filled with unkindness. She has a beautiful heart to use her platform to connect with people in a kind, honest way.” They weren’t alone. Plenty of people had nothing but compassion and empathy for Bertinelli’s situation, and they pointed out that even if someone’s a celebrity or has lots of money, they’re still human.
Advertisement
Bertinelli is one of those celebrities who’s proud to be sober. She stopped drinking alcohol in early 2024. It started with her trying out “Dry January,” which involves going alcohol free for a month, and from there, she just decided to stick with it. She told People that she’d realized that she’d used alcohol and food as a “toolkit for soothing and ignoring s— that I shouldn’t be soothing and ignoring.” It’s clearly a lesson that she’s still struggling with, and we wish her the best.
