‘Lovesick Teenager’: Valerie Bertinelli's Whirlwind New Romance Causes Concern For Actress’ Inner Circle, Report Claims
Former Food Network star Valerie Bertinelli’s whirlwind new romance with a “special” person she met online has pals worried the 64-year-old divorcée should turn down the heat and stop acting like a “lovesick teenager.”
A bombshell report claimed sources said Bertinelli’s 2022 split from Tom Vitale after nearly 11 years of marriage should make her more cautious.
The friends told The National Enquirer, “Friends are worried about the pace of the relationship. While everyone wishes her the best, her friends believe that moving in together and talking about marriage so soon after meeting online is crazy!”
As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Bertinelli spoke to People about her new romance but did not reveal her boyfriend’s name.
The 63-year-old actress said the man messaged her on social media a couple of years ago but it was strictly platonic. “It was strictly platonic but there was something about him that I connected with that felt familiar,” she said.
The actress said the conversations moved to the phone recently and then turned romantic.
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"It's crazy the comfort level. It feels incredibly right,” she said. “I’m in love. It’s a seesaw of emotions because I was adamant I was never falling in love again."
"I was supposed to die with my six cats and my dog and very happily live the rest of my years alone — I'm good alone," she continued. "My belly is flip-flopping. This was not supposed to happen."
“I want to be clear that this process has taken a long time,” she added. "I got more intentional about my healing. That meant a lot of walks with [my dog] Luna, a lot of therapy sessions, a lot of learning that I deserve to feel good.”
"The more I let myself cry, the better I felt. I wasn’t trying to be happy or sad or thin. I wasn’t trying to be anything other than who I was," Bertinelli said.
As RadarOnline.com first reported, Bertinelli had a bitter divorce battle with her ex-husband.
The actress filed to end the union in November 2021. She cited cited “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the split and asked that both parties be cut off from spousal support.
Her ex demanded $50k per month in support. In court, he argued he was forced to take a job at a post office in Malibu while she pulled in $175k per month.
In the end, Bertinelli agreed to pay a $2.2 million lump sum to her ex as part of a settlement.