Valerie Bertinelli husband history runs through two marriages that bookend more than four decades of public life: rock guitarist Eddie Van Halen from 1981 to 2007, and financial planner Tom Vitale from 2011 to 2022. Both unions played out with dates attached at nearly every turn, which makes this one of the more fully documented celebrity marriage records around.
Key facts strip
- Together with Eddie Van Halen since: 1980, married April 11, 1981
- Married Tom Vitale: January 1, 2011, in Malibu, California
- Public confirmation: Court filings, People, Fox News, and Today all carried dated coverage of both relationships
Husband One: Eddie Van Halen
Bertinelli met Eddie Van Halen backstage at a Van Halen concert in Shreveport, Louisiana, in 1980, according to Ultimate Classic Rock. She was 20, a sitcom star on One Day at a Time. He was 26, the guitarist behind one of hard rock’s biggest bands.
The pair married on April 11, 1981, less than a year after meeting, per the same outlet. Bandmates reportedly discouraged the match, but Van Halen pushed ahead anyway, telling People in 1981 that marrying her was the best thing he’d ever done.
Husband Two: Tom Vitale
Bertinelli met financial planner Tom Vitale in 2004, introduced by her brother, according to Fox News. The relationship developed slowly. She announced their engagement in May 2010, per Wikipedia, and the couple married on January 1, 2011, in Malibu.
Vitale brought four children from a previous relationship into the marriage, and Bertinelli became their stepmother. Both her ex-husband Eddie Van Halen and her son Wolfgang attended the 2011 wedding, according to Wikipedia — a detail that says something about how she managed the overlap between her two marriages.
The Full Dated Timeline
Here’s every confirmed milestone across both marriages, numbered in order.
- 1980 — Bertinelli meets Eddie Van Halen. They meet backstage at a concert in Shreveport, Louisiana, per Ultimate Classic Rock.
- April 11, 1981 — She marries Eddie Van Halen. The wedding takes place less than a year after they meet.
- March 16, 1991 — Son Wolfgang Van Halen is born. He’s the couple’s only child together.
- October 15, 2001 — Bertinelli and Van Halen separate. The date comes directly from her divorce petition, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, per CBS News.
- December 20, 2007 — The Van Halen divorce is finalized. Wikipedia cites this exact date, legally closing a 26-year marriage (though the couple had been separated since October 2001).
- 2004 — Bertinelli begins a relationship with Tom Vitale. The two are introduced by her brother, per Fox News.
- May 2010 — Engagement to Tom Vitale is announced. Wikipedia confirms the announcement date.
- January 1, 2011 — Bertinelli marries Tom Vitale in Malibu. Both her ex-husband and her son attend, per Wikipedia.
- October 6, 2020 — Eddie Van Halen dies of throat cancer. He’s 65. Bertinelli and Wolfgang are at his side, per Fox News.
- November 2021 — Bertinelli files for legal separation from Vitale. The filing lists a separation date of December 1, 2019, per Fox News.
- May 12, 2022 — She amends the filing to a full divorce. The petition cites irreconcilable differences, per Fox News.
- September 28, 2022 — The divorce is privately settled. A private judge, Hank Goldberg, approves the agreement in Los Angeles Superior Court, per Today.
- November 22, 2022 — Bertinelli is declared legally single. She marks the date on social media, calling it the “second best day” of her life, per Fox News.
Court records also show the financial side of that split: Bertinelli paid Vitale a one-time $2.2 million settlement in November 2022, on top of a $500,000 transfer made earlier in May 2022, with neither party receiving ongoing spousal support under their prenuptial agreement.
Which Milestone Actually Moved the Story
The April 11, 1981 wedding to Eddie Van Halen is the pivot. Before it, Bertinelli was a teenage sitcom star with a squeaky-clean image. After it, she was permanently attached to rock’s bad-boy narrative, a pairing the press framed as a mismatch from the start.
That single date reshaped how outlets covered her for the next four decades, even through a second marriage and divorce. Every Tom Vitale headline still mentions Eddie Van Halen for context, which shows how much weight that 1981 wedding still carries in her public record.
What We Still Don’t Have Full Numbers On
A few specifics around both marriages remain undocumented or unresolved, even with this much reporting on the record.
- The exact terms of the Vitale settlement beyond the two disclosed payments. Court records confirm the $2.2 million and $500,000 figures, but the full settlement details were never made fully public.
- Whether Vitale received any spousal support in practice. Reporting shows he requested $50,000 a month, but no outlet has confirmed what, if anything, he ultimately received beyond the disclosed lump sums.
- The precise reason Bertinelli listed a 2019 separation date in a 2021 filing. No outlet has explained the two-year gap between the listed separation date and the actual filing.
Anyone filling in these blanks with confident specifics is guessing past what the record shows.
How the Two Marriages Compare
Both marriages ran roughly a decade apart in length, but the public narratives around them differ sharply.
| Marriage | Length | Reason Cited | Financial Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eddie Van Halen | 1981–2007 (26 years) | Irreconcilable differences, drug use | No settlement figures published |
| Tom Vitale | 2011–2022 (11 years) | Irreconcilable differences | $2.2M + $500K, court-confirmed |
The Vitale divorce is the more financially documented of the two, largely because it played out through contested court filings rather than a quiet, decades-later separation.
Related Read: Valerie Bertinelli Net Worth: The Real $20M Story
What She’s Said About Both Marriages, On the Record
Bertinelli has been candid about both relationships in interviews. She told Fox News in 2024 that her marriage to Van Halen was “nothing that would scream soulmate,” even while acknowledging she loved him deeply. She’s described their son Wolfgang as the lasting gift from that marriage.
On the Vitale divorce, she told Today’s Hoda Kotb in June 2022 that she didn’t expect to look for love again, citing trust issues from the split.
Life After Two Marriages
Bertinelli has stayed close to Van Halen’s memory since his 2020 death, and she remained present at his side during his final illness despite their divorce 13 years earlier. With Vitale, the relationship ended more sharply, marked by a contested prenup and a public financial settlement.
More Read: Did Valerie Bertinelli Die? The Dated Answer to a Recurring Hoax
By 2024, Bertinelli had entered a new relationship with writer Mike Goodnough, describing herself as still working through what she called “demons” from the Vitale marriage, per Fox News reporting. As of 2026, she remains unmarried, with her two prior husbands defining most public discussion of her personal life.
Frequently Asked Questions About Valerie Bertinelli’s Husband
Who was Valerie Bertinelli’s first husband?
Eddie Van Halen, the Van Halen guitarist. They married April 11, 1981, and divorced on December 20, 2007.
Who was Valerie Bertinelli’s second husband?
Tom Vitale, a financial planner. They married January 1, 2011, and divorced in November 2022.
Does Valerie Bertinelli have children with either husband?
Yes, one son, Wolfgang Van Halen, born March 16, 1991, with Eddie Van Halen. She has no biological children with Tom Vitale but became stepmother to his four children.
How did Valerie Bertinelli’s divorce from Eddie Van Halen play out?
They separated on October 15, 2001, and finalized the divorce on December 20, 2007, citing irreconcilable differences.
What happened financially in the Tom Vitale divorce?
Court records show Bertinelli paid Vitale a $2.2 million one-time settlement in November 2022, plus an earlier $500,000 transfer in May 2022, with no ongoing spousal support under their prenuptial agreement.
Is Valerie Bertinelli married now?
No. As of 2026, she’s single, having dated writer Mike Goodnough since 2024, per Fox News.
Did Eddie Van Halen and Valerie Bertinelli stay close after their divorce?
Yes. She was at his bedside when he died of throat cancer on October 6, 2020, and has spoken publicly about their continued bond after the split.
Disclaimer: These details reflect publicly available reporting and records — not confirmed statements from the individuals involved.
