Why Did Valerie Bertinelli Tom Vitale Split? The Actress Files for Divorce

Nothing lasts forever, and award-winning actress Valerie Bertinelli knows it firsthand. She filed for divorce from her longtime partner Tom Vitale after 11 years together.

“One Day at a Time” star Valerie Bertinelli has been unlucky in love as her two marriages didn’t stand the test of time. After divorcing Eddie Van Halen in 2007, she gave love a second try with Tom Vitale.

Bertinelli and Vitale tied the knot in January 2011, but things didn’t work out, and she filed for divorce in May 2022. Here’s everything you need to know about Valerie Bertinelli and Tom Vitale’s split.

Valerie Bertinelli and Tom Vitale on May 05, 2019 in Pasadena, California | Source: Getty Images

HOW DID VALERIE BERTINELLI AND TOM VITALE MEET?

Bertinelli and Vitale met through her brother in 2004, three years after she and Eddie Van Halen parted ways. Vitale already had four children and was recently divorced, but he and Bertinelli mainly bonded over their Italian heritage. 

After dating for six years, Bertinelli knew that she was so in love and enjoyed being with Vitale so much that she could spend the rest of her life with him even if they didn’t marry. 

Valerie Bertinelli and Tom Vitale on October 27, 2012 in Los Angeles, California | Source: Getty Images

However, she wanted to call him “husband,” so they began talking about marriage. Still, the TV personality was shocked when Vitale popped the question in May 2010.

The businessman did it during their 10-day vacation in Florence, Italy. Bertinelli revealed that although his proposal was sweet, he was “so scared.”

Valerie Bertinelli and Tom Vitale married on January 1, 2011, at their cliff-side Malibu property. Only 100 people were invited, including her son with Eddie Van Halen, Wolfgang, and “One Day at a Time” alums Pal Harrington and Mackenzie Phillips.

WHY DID VALERIE BERTINELLI FILE FOR DIVORCE?

Unfortunately, Bertinelli and Vitale’s romance didn’t last forever. In December 2019, only one month before celebrating their ninth wedding anniversary, the former couple announced their separation. 

Bertinelli waited two years before filing for legal separation in November 2021. In May 2022, Valerie Bertinelli and Tom Vitale’s relationship made headlines again after she filed divorce papers in Los Angeles Superior Court.

[Bertinelli] and Van Halen’s love for each other was stronger and “more resilient” than anything

The “Valerie’s Home Cooking” host cited “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for their split. Apart from a TikTok video where she admitted she had a “bad day,” Bertinelli has not publicly addressed the divorce news. 

In January 2022, though, she revealed she and Vitale “grew apart.” Bertinelli added that her undying love for Eddie Van Halen had nothing to do with their separation. 

VALERIE BERTINELLI STILL MOURNS HER FIRST HUSBAND, EDDIE VAN HALEN

Speaking of Valerie Bertinelli’s ex-husband, Eddie Van Halen passed away in October 2020 from cancer. The legendary musician was 65, and Bertinelli considered he was her “soul mate.” She explained: 

“When I think of soul mate, I think of souls that come here to experience this life on Earth together again and get to a higher place. I definitely know that was part of Ed.”

Bertinelli added that she and Van Halen’s love for each other was stronger and “more resilient” than anything. However, they were not meant to be together as a couple and preferred to be friends and family.  

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