Food Network Fans, Valerie Bertinelli Shared a Surprising Relationship Update Post-Divorce

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Valerie Bertinelli has a lot to celebrate as of late! Between a flourishing book career and her son Wolfgang Van Halen receiving an Oscar nomination for his work on the Barbie movie song "I'm Just Ken," she just dropped major news about an important era in her life.

Ahead of the April 2 release of her cookbook Indulge: Delicious and Decadent Dishes to Enjoy and Share, the Food Network alum spoke with People about what her romantic life has been like since her split from ex-husband Tom Vitale (who she wed in 2011 and divorced in 2022). While she's been open online about taking time to heal from the break-up, she surprised fans by telling the outlet she has found love again with a new boyfriend.

"I’m in love," she revealed to the publication. "It’s a seesaw of emotions because I was adamant I was never falling in love again... My belly is flip-flopping. This was not supposed to happen."

While the Hot in Cleveland actress is currently keeping details about her new romance private (including the identity of her partner), she did get vulnerable about how it happened. According to Valerie, the two initially met over Instagram a while back, but the relationship only turned romantic after they began to talk over the phone earlier this year.

After her recent divorce and the 2020 death of her first ex-husband, the late Eddie Van Halen, Valerie says she never saw herself getting into another serious relationship. But as she explained to the outlet, learning how to be present and feel good for herself came ahead of falling in love all over again.

"I want to be clear that this process has taken a long time," she noted. "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. I found joy first, and then a man entered my life."

As fans know, Valerie first announced her latest book in November 2023. When she shared details about the work on Instagram in late February 2024, she detailed how important writing the book was for her self-care journey.

"I’m so excited to share with all of you my new cookbook, Indulge 💜," she captioned a clip. "I wrote Indulge in this last year or so of healing, while looking for and finding my true self. Doing my best to be intentional with my joy and luckily finding that I naturally hum at happy."

Congrats, Valerie!

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