EXCLUSIVE: Valerie Bertinelli Bares Painful Past to Help Others Find Peace
Valerie Bertinelli has shared her painful past to help others find peace through her personal journey.
March 30 2026, Published 6:15 a.m. ET
Brave Valerie Bertinelli is finally opening up about the harrowing sexual abuse she endured as a child – a secret she kept hidden for decades – to help her navigate the future, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The Food Network alum, 65, detailed the abuse in her new, no-holds-barred memoir, Getting Naked. She said the nightmare began when she was only 11 years old.
Valerie Bertinelli Breaks Silence On Assault
In 'Getting Naked,' Valerie Bertinelli revealed she was sexually assaulted at age 11 and said sharing it still 'boggles my mind.'
"I guess because I'm healing from it, it's not so scary anymore," Valerie wrote. "I can say it out loud. I was sexually assaulted. It doesn't feel like it owns me anymore."
She did not name her abuser, but said she wanted to include the abuse in her story "because... it boggles my mind that this little girl was taken advantage of that way. It boggles my mind because it's still happening... and I'm furious about it."
As RadarOnline.com readers know, the actress has endured more than her fair share of tragedy.
She was crushed by the 2020 cancer death of her first husband, 65-year-old rock legend Eddie Van Halen, having stayed on loving terms with the guitar god as they coparented their son, Wolfie, now 35.
Valerie’s Marriage Became Living Hell
Tom Vitale's marriage to Bertinelli ended in 2022 with a reported $2.2million settlement after what she described as a 'living hell.'
She also revealed her second marriage, to financier Tom Vitale, 62, became a "living hell" that left her forced to cough up a whopping $2.2million settlement after divorcing in 2022 following 10 stormy years.
Insiders said all her heartbreak was compounded by the bombshell secret about her childhood sex abuse ordeal, which sources said had more of an impact on the Hot in Cleveland star than loved ones previously realized.
Valerie Praised For Brave Confession
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Sources said Bertinelli is receiving support after opening up about her past abuse and years of personal struggles, including the loss of first husband, Eddie Van Halen.
"Everyone is beyond proud of Valerie for speaking her truth but it's so sad that she suffered in silence for so long, especially when she was dealing with so much other trauma along the way," an insider told RadarOnline.com.
"Valerie deserves peace and she's finally achieved that, to a certain extent at least, by coming forward with her story and being dedicated towards helping others. It speaks volumes about her selfless nature that she's willing to put it all out there and be a shining example for people to stand up to abuse."
