Valerie Bertinelli is tired. Not the "I need a nap" kind of tired, but the bone-deep, 50-year-career kind of tired that comes from trying to look perfect in a kitchen that isn’t yours. Honestly, if you’ve been following her journey lately, you know the smile is still there, but the filter is gone. Gone.
She’s 65 now. And she’s basically spent the last year burning the old blueprints of her life to the ground.
For decades, we knew her as the America’s Sweetheart from One Day at a Time or the queen of lemon zest on the Food Network. But Valerie Bertinelli today is someone different. She’s messy. She’s vulnerable. She’s "uncomfortably personal," which happens to be her own description of her brand-new memoir, Getting Naked, hitting shelves in March 2026.
It isn't just a book. It’s a manifesto for anyone who’s ever felt "ghosted" by a job or broken by a relationship they thought would be their last.
The Food Network Exit and the "Ghosting" Drama
Let’s get the elephant out of the room first. The way things ended with the Food Network was, well, kinda cold. After 14 seasons of Valerie’s Home Cooking and a long run on Kids Baking Championship, the network basically stopped calling.
She wasn't just disappointed; she was hurt.
She’s been vocal about the fact that nobody really gave her a "why." One day you’re the face of the network, and the next, you’re watching from the sidelines as Kardea Brown takes over your judging seat. Duff Goldman, her long-time co-host, even had to hop on social media recently to tell fans to stop being mean to the new talent. It’s a weird spot to be in—having a fan base so loyal they start fights on your behalf, even when you’ve moved on.
But moving on is exactly what she did. Instead of wallowing in the "crazy business" of TV cooking, she went back to her roots.
Why Valerie Bertinelli is Terrified of Acting Again
Here’s something most people get wrong: they think a veteran actress with 53 years of experience just walks onto a set and nails it.
Nope.
In June 2025, Valerie headed to Vancouver to film a new project for Lifetime. She admitted to being "really terrified." Like, "looking at my selfies and seeing the fear in my eyes" terrified. It had been four years since she’d done a single-camera production.
- The Project: A Lifetime movie with a script she describes as "amazing."
- The Vibe: High-stakes vulnerability.
- The Reality: 4:18 a.m. call times and hour-long commutes spent studying lines.
She’s been sharing these raw moments on Instagram, showing the world that even a Golden Globe winner gets imposter syndrome. She’s basically telling us that it’s okay to be a "Pollyanna" and look for "glimmers" of joy while also being scared out of your mind.
Single, Selective, and "Done" With the Nonsense
People always want to know about her love life. It’s the curse of being a celebrity. After her high-profile divorce from Tom Vitale in 2022—which she called the "second best day" of her life—she took a swing at love again with writer Mike Goodnough.
It didn't stick.
They split in late 2024 after about ten months. The breakup got a little messy on social media, with Goodnough calling it a "painful experience." But if you look at Valerie Bertinelli today, she isn't looking back. She’s leaning into being single. She’s leaning into her "adulting" moments, her cats, and her son, Wolfgang Van Halen.
Speaking of Wolfgang, she spent this past Thanksgiving in Kansas City just to be near his tour bus. That’s her life now. No fancy, traditional sit-down dinners—just Houlihan’s at a bar or wherever the road takes "Wolfie."
The "Getting Naked" Movement
The most "Discover-feed-worthy" thing about Valerie right now is the cover of her upcoming book. She’s literally stripped down in her living room. No fancy lighting, no Spanx, no hiding.
She told her editor, "Maybe I should be naked on the cover," and then immediately panicked because she’d never even done a nude scene in a movie. But that’s the point. The book is about unlearning the "script" that tells women they have to please everyone and stay silent as they age.
It’s about:
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- Body Image: Realizing the scale is a liar.
- Aging: Accepting the "puffy eyes" and the styes (which she recently posted about).
- Self-Acceptance: Not waiting for a network or a man to tell you you’re worthy.
What This Means for You
Valerie’s "rebrand" isn't a marketing ploy; it’s a life pivot. If you’re looking for actionable insights from her journey, here’s the gist:
- Audit Your "Glimmers": Valerie talks about "confirmation bias for glimmers"—actively looking for small things, like sunlight through a window, to combat anxiety.
- Own the Pivot: When one door closes (like a 14-season cooking show), don't wait for them to change their mind. Go where the "amazing scripts" are, even if it scares you.
- Stop the Perfectionism: Whether it's your career or your kitchen, the "persistent need to be perfect" is what breaks you.
Your Next Steps
If you want to keep up with the "new" Valerie, follow her on Instagram where she posts her raw, unedited "morning reflections." You can also pre-order Getting Naked before its March 2026 release to get the full story of her "uncomfortable" transition. Lastly, keep an eye out for her lifestyle segments on The Drew Barrymore Show, where she’s currently serving as a regular expert.