Who Is Valerie Bertinelli's Boyfriend? All About Mike Goodnough

Valerie Bertinelli went public with her boyfriend Mike Goodnough in April 2024

Valerie Bertinelli has found love again and she’s not afraid to share it.

The former Food Network host and cookbook author first announced she was dating a new man, Mike Goodnough, in March 2024, over a year after she finalized her divorce from her ex-husband, Tom Vitale, in November 2022. She was also previously married to the late Eddie Van Halen until their split in 2007.

Though she announced her relationship in March, she kept Goodnough's identity private at the time.

“I’m in love,” she told PEOPLE in April 2024. “It’s a seesaw of emotions because I was adamant I was never falling in love again."

Related: Valerie Bertinelli and Tom Vitale's Relationship Timeline

Bertinelli continued to keep her new relationship out of the spotlight until April 2024, when she and Goodnough stepped out publicly for the first time. Soon after, Goodnough made their romance internet-official when he posted on his Substack.

“I am Valerie Bertinelli’s boyfriend… and that may well be among the most surreal sentences I’ve ever pecked out. But it’s true… and nothing about our actual relationship seems surreal. It just seems… good… lucky… a gift,” he wrote on his Substack called Hoarse Whisperings.

So who is Valerie Bertinelli’s boyfriend? Here’s everything to know about Mike Goodnough and his relationship with the cookbook author.

He is a writer

Goodnough is a lifestyle writer, mainly posting on his Substack, Hoarse Whisperings. Referring to himself as the Hoarse Whisperer, Goodnough shares his musings as well as personal posts about fatherhood and events in his life.

He first became well-known for posting content on X (formerly known as Twitter) where he has over 400,000 followers. In September 2019, he shared his backstory, writing that he used to work in marketing and strategic communications as a freelancer for ad agencies and marketing consultancies.

However, after his son was born, Goodnough left full-time work and picked up projects as he could, while prioritizing raising his child.

“It’s less fun to deal with the bureaucracy and grind of increasingly corporate ad agencies, so about 12 years ago, the day before my son was born, I went out on my own,” he wrote on X.

Now, his focus has been on his Substack, where most of his content is paid and followers can subscribe to a newsletter.

He is a father to one child

Goodnough welcomed a son with his first wife in 2007. The two split when their son was 2 years old, and Goodnough said he prioritized his child above everything else, rearranging his career to help raise him, he wrote on X.

“I made the conscious decision to give him a softer loving energy than a typical father,” he wrote. “I potty trained him and taught him to read. I tucked him in and made up fantastic tales of Leo the Lion, the laziest lion on Long Island. And I loved every minute of it.”

He and Bertinelli met online

Bertinelli had no plans to look for love again after her divorce, she told PEOPLE in April 2024, but when Goodnough came into her life, she changed her mind.

"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 said. “My belly is flip-flopping. This was not supposed to happen."

Bertinelli and Goodnough first met when she became friendly with the writer after messaging on Instagram a few years before they began dating.

“It was strictly platonic but there was something about him that I connected with that felt familiar,” she said. “A comfort level. He felt like a kindred spirit.”

Following their initial messages, “every few months he would DM me,” Bertinelli said, and in January 2024, things began to heat up when they spoke on the phone for the first time.

“I was very guarded, as was he,” she said. “His voice had the most beautiful timbre. I was like ‘Oh, I can’t talk to this man right now because that’s really sexy.’ We both had strong feelings, trying not to admit them.”

They live on opposite coasts

The couple’s relationship started off long distance as Bertinelli lives in Los Angeles while Goodnough resides on the East Coast. However, two months after they first began having long phone conversations, the two met up in New York City in March for a romantic date.

“I’m driving up to meet him, and he’s already at the hotel standing outside,” she told PEOPLE of their first meeting. “I just jump out of the car, and I run to him, and I hug him. It was the best hug. I immediately felt like I was home. This is where I belong, in this man’s arms. It all feels incredibly right.”

Since then, the two have established a “three-week rule” to ensure they continue to see each other often.

“We never go longer than that without seeing each other,” she explained “After all, it’s about finding the joy in life and sharing it.”

Goodnough also wrote about joining Bertinelli while she was doing press for her cookbook, Indulge, on his Substack.

“It was a long week – mostly for her. I knew it would be. I knew we wouldn’t get much ‘time together,’ ” he wrote. “In some ways, I was ‘with her’ less than when we are on opposite coasts and have easier schedules. And that was okay.”

He dropped hints about their relationship online

While Bertinelli was keeping Goodnough’s name and identity private, he was sharing sneak peeks and hints that he was her partner on his Substack and social media. After PEOPLE referred to him as an East Coast writer, Goodnough cheekily posted a picture of himself on X working on a laptop, writing, “On the East Coast writing.”

He later posted more hints, including a photo of himself reading Bertinelli’s cookbook and a photo of the book lying on a coffee table as he tuned in to her appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show.

Bertinelli took the clues to the next level when she reposted his Substack post about supporting her on her press trip on her Instagram Stories, writing, “I just can’t with this man🥹😭.” She tagged his Instagram, hinting at his identity.

They made their relationship public in April 2024

Shortly after stepping out with Bertinelli while she was filming The Drew Barrymore Show, Goodnough confirmed he was dating her in one of his Substack posts.

He addressed the speculation in a post titled “Rumors, Rumors, Rumors,” joking that he called Bertinelli to ask if they were dating. He acknowledged how “surreal” the rumors were, referring to her as “the one who has won two Emmy’s and two Golden Globe Awards; hosted her own cooking show for fourteen seasons; and written six books including a #1 New York Times best seller. That one.”

“Valerie freaking Bertinelli… dating… me!?! I know. Ludicrous. How would that even f------ happen?” he quipped before confirming they were dating. 

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