Eddie Van Halen’s ex-wife Valerie Bertinelli recently opened up about her continued feelings toward her late ex-husband. She addressed public judgment about their relationship in a statement shared on Yahoo Entertainment.
Bertinelli spoke candidly about missing Van Halen and defending her right to still love him despite their divorce.
“I don’t know if it’s, like, pure closure because I miss him,” she said. “I miss the experience I could have with him right now watching Wolfie on and watching our son thrive. And it’s always tender to talk about Ed because a lot of people have a lot of judgment about it, that I could still love my ex husband, and I do. And I will.”
She emphasized that her feelings don’t diminish either of their subsequent marriages.
“And I’m not gonna make excuses or feel bad about it anymore,” she continued. “It doesn’t take away from his second marriage. It doesn’t take away from my second marriage. To still love the man that I had my greatest gift with, my child. I’ve known Ed since I was 20 years old. We went through a huge arc of our lives together.”
Bertinelli also expressed regret about their past relationship. She reflected on how she might have handled things differently with her current understanding of trauma.
“The regret that I have of not being able to be with him and a bigger regret of knowing now how to deal with abuse and trauma in your life, I probably could have been a lot more compassionate 30 years ago,” she said. “Because I know how difficult it was for him now. I just blamed the drugs and the alcohol, but he was in a lot of pain. And I feel like I could be such a better partner or friend to him today. He is a person in my life that will always have a huge chunk of my heart, and I’m not gonna feel guilty about it anymore.”
Bertinelli’s recent statements reflect on a relationship that spanned decades and weathered significant challenges before ultimately ending in divorce.
The couple’s relationship began when they were both young. Bertinelli and Van Halen married on April 11, 1981, in a private ceremony in California. Their union attracted significant public attention due to the contrast between their worlds – she was a television actress known for her wholesome image, while he was a rock star at the height of his fame with Van Halen.
Despite presenting themselves as a happy family publicly for many years, their marriage faced serious difficulties behind closed doors. Recent revelations indicated that Eddie had extramartial relationships, particularly while on tour. The couple’s inability to address their issues openly led to long stretches of silence and growing emotional distance.
The strain of these unresolved problems eventually took its toll on both partners. The couple separated in October 2001 after their marriage had been deteriorating for years. Bertinelli’s mental health began to suffer under the weight of these challenges by the early 2000s.
Their divorce was finalized on December 20, 2007, officially ending 26 years of marriage. Despite the painful end to their romantic relationship, Bertinelli’s recent comments demonstrate that the bond they shared as parents and partners through formative years of their lives continues to hold deep meaning for her. She navigates this even as she faces public scrutiny about her ongoing feelings for her late ex-husband.
