Valerie Bertinelli responded to criticism over how she remembers her late ex-husband, Eddie Van Halen. The actress said she no longer allows negative comments about her tributes to affect her grieving process. “It used to really bother me. It does not, not anymore,” Bertinelli said.
Valerie Bertinelli addresses the backlash surrounding her tributes to Eddie Van Halen
Bertinelli and Van Halen married in 1981 and welcomed their son, Wolfgang, in 1991. They divorced in 2007 after 26 years of marriage, but Bertinelli remained open about her love and grief.
In an Instagram reel, Bertinelli said she often receives criticism when she posts photos of Van Halen. “It does not take long for me to get a lot of pushback when I post a picture of me and Ed,” she said. “It used to really bother me. It does not, not anymore.”
The 66-year-old actress connected the criticism to what she described as coercive control, calling it “slow and insidious.” She said people may call her “obsessed” and say “all kinds of f*cked up sh*t” until she removes a post.
Still, Bertinelli defended her right to remember Van Halen. “My heart can hold a lot of love,” she said, adding that a part of it would always belong to Ed, Wolfgang and others she loves.
The backlash followed a throwback photo Bertinelli shared on the anniversary of Van Halen’s death on Instagram. She wrote, “Photos may fade, as old photos do, but not the memories and never the love.”
Van Halen died in 2020 at 65 following complications from cancer. Bertinelli’s latest comments showed that she plans to continue honoring his memory without letting criticism shape how she grieves.
