Valerie Bertinelli: Was He For Real?

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Back in March, Valerie Bertinelli told fans she was giving love another chance after her 2022 divorce from Tom Vitale.

A few weeks later, the Food Network star, 64, went public with 53-year-old Mike Goodenough after meeting the writer on Instagram and messaging with him for a few years.

The relationship felt “comfortable,” she said. But now that the pair have split, some of her friends admit they were worried. “They thought Valerie was taking a giant leap of faith, dating someone she’d met on social media,” a source tells Star.

Some even hinted that Mike was a bit too starstruck by the One Day at a Time alum, whose first husband was the late rock legend Eddie Van Halen. “They thought she hadn’t vetted Mike enough,” explains the insider.

So far, Valerie is keeping mum about any regrets, but she did hint at some trouble earlier this year when she called their long-distance relationship “challenging.”