When a long-term relationship of decades suddenly falls apart, there is usually a big reason behind it. Valerie Bertinelli divorced her husband of 25 years because their relationship turned so incredibly sour she could no longer put up with him despite her best efforts.
Luckily for Valerie, the split proved to be a blessing as she tied the knot with an impressive personality. The couple's wedding turned out to be unique in more ways than one.
Valerie Bertinelli's Married Life With Tom Vitale
After her failed first marriage, Valerie Bertinelli married for the second time with financial planner Tom Vitale. The couple shared wedding vows in January 2011.
Reportedly, the pair first began dating in 2004 after getting to know through the Food Network star's brother Patrick Bertinelli. The two got engaged during a trip to Italy in May 2010.
The subsequent wedding was held in an intimate ceremony at their home in Malibu, California in 2011. Her son Wolfgang Van Halen attended the wedding along with her ex-spouse.
Source: Pop Sugar
Bertinelli wore a custom-made dress by designer David Meister. She, in fact, skipped wearing a white dress for the big day, instead opting for a blue one. Speaking on this choice, the actress said:
“Well, it’s a second marriage, so I thought ‘White?’” she shrugged “I mean, you could still do white, people do it all the time and there’s nothing wrong with it, but I guess, you know, the ocean is beautiful and…I don’t know. I don’t know what possessed us.”
After the ceremony, Valeria told People magazine, "We're so happy!" Just a year prior, the actress described the pair as "a little afraid of commitment." Moreover, she initially planned to exchange vows in front of just two witnesses. Later, the invite list kept growing, and ultimately, the lovebirds tied the knot in front of around 100 guests.The couple resided in Malibu during their years of marital life.
Update: No Longer Together?
It seems Valerie Bertinelli's second marriage also could not be perpetual. That's right! She and Tom are no longer married.
After years of living together as husband and wife, the Valerie's Home Cooking creator filed for a divorce from her spouse citing "irreconcilable differences" on November 24, 2021. The duo officially separated on September 29, 2022.
Bertinelli and Vitale were married for ten years but shares no child from their time together. The 62-year-old also clearly stated that she now no longer wants to look for love again in her life.
After the pair officially parted ways, Tom requested to be paid spousal support and legal fees in the fourth in July 2022. He requested that he be paid $50,000 per moths in spousal support and $200,0000 in legal fees.
However, Valerie in her defense said that their prenup, signed in 2010 contains a "waiver of temporary and permanent spousal support." A separate trial for this case is to be held in the coming days.
Valerie Bertinelli's Previous Marriage
As mentioned earlier, before her recent divorced, Valerie Bertinelli was already married before. Previously, she tied the knot with musician Eddie Van Halen.
The couple tied the knot on 11th April 1981. They welcomed a son named William Van Halen, better known as Wolfgang, on 16th March 1991.
Source: Pinterest
The couple separated in 2001 before eventually divorcing on 20th December 2007. In her autobiography, Bertinelli revealed the reasons the pair split.
The actress cited the primary reason for the couple departing to be Eddie's cocaine addiction despite being diagnosed with oral cancer. His stubbornness, refusal to quit smoking, and subsequently losing one-third of his tongue in the treatment process were too much for her to take.
Despite the divorce, the former duo appeared to be on good terms. Van Halen was amongst the guests at his ex-wife's second wedding. Speaking to Access Hollywood, Bertinelli said:
"I think it’s really important that you never ever hate your ex more than you love your children and I’ve never hated Ed, so I’m lucky."
She continued:
"I think as adults we need to — because we’re disrupting their lives and they don’t have any say about it — we’re the ones that have to be grown ups and behave and treat each other with dignity and kindness, because it’s for our children’s sake."
It's wonderful to see the former pair holding no grudges and still being as friendly as ever.
Valerie Bertinelli: Quick Facts
Source: Food Network
- Born on 23rd April 1960 in Wilmington, Delaware.
- Her birth sign is Taurus.
- Her parents are Nancy Bertinelli and Andrew Bertinelli.
- Her father is of Italian descent, while her mother is of English descent.
- Her father was a General Motors executive.
- She was raised Roman Catholic.
- She has three siblings: David Bertinelli, Patrick Bertinelli, and Drew Bertinelli.
- She had an elder brother named Mark Bertinelli, who passed away at 17 months from accidental poisoning prior to her birth.
- Her family frequently moved because of her father's career.
- She studied acting at the Tami Lynn School of Artists in Los Angeles, California.
- She went to Granada Hills High School.
- She won a Golden Globe Award in the category of Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Barbara Cooper Royer in the TV series One Day at a Time.
- She played the role of Gloria in the TV series Touched by an Angel.
- She played Melanie Moretti on Hot in Cleveland alongside Betty White.
- Her net worth is estimated to be $20 million.
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