Valerie Bertinelli is opening up in a big way with a very exciting announcement.
She and her new man are going public! Take a look at the first photo the pair shared of themselves together on Instagram:
Valerie paired the photo with a set of Taylor Swift lyrics from her new album The Tortured Poets Department, writing “I’ll drink what you think and I’m high from smokin’ your jokes all d*mn night.”
Valerie tagged her man in the photo revealing him to be 53-year-old writer Mike Goodnough. Goodnough also shared a post of his own on Instagram, saying, “When you like being the ‘anonymous boyfriend’ but the press finds your social.”
He also commented under Valerie’s post, writing, “They look happy, those two.” How exciting!
Back in 2022, after finalizing her divorce from her husband of 10 years, Tom Vitale, Valerie admitted the end of her relationship wasn’t pleasant and that she didn’t think she would ever be in another relationship again.
RELATED: Valerie Bertinelli Is Saying Goodbye, Again
However, as Bertinelli is revealing now, she’s getting another chance at love. A chance that has come out of “left field.”
While talking with USA TODAY, Bertinelli revealed she “met someone. And I’m incredibly grateful for him.”
And as it happened so many times before, Bertinelli admits her new beau “was not on my radar. The celebrity chef admitted she “was going to die with my six cats and my dog and be incredibly happy doing it. So this came out of left field, and I’m grateful it did. He’s very special.”
Now, Bertinelli hopes other women and men take something away from her story and her struggles. “I really want women and men to take away that it’s the work that you do [on yourself] that can lead you to meeting someone like I’ve been lucky enough to meet right now.”
She continued, admitting, this new man came into her life at the perfect time. “This would not have happened three years ago, four years ago, last year ― it wouldn’t have. And I feel incredibly lucky to have met him and made a connection with him.”
And now Bertinelli is opeing up even more about her new man, telling People she’s “in love.” “My belly is flip-flopping,” she admits. “This was not supposed to happen.”
“It’s a seesaw of emotions because I was adamant I was never falling in love again,” the chef admits, reiterating that she was “very happily” ready to live the rest of my years alone — I’m good alone.”
But while Bertinelli is happy again, and keeping her new man to herself at least for a little bit longer, she admits it took work to get here from where she was in 2022 when her divorce finalized. “I want to be clear that this process has taken a long time. I got more intentional about my healing. That meant a lot of walks with [my dog] Luna, a lot of therapy sessions, a lot of learning that I deserve to feel good.”
In May 2022, Valerie Bertinelli officially ended her 10-year marriage with Tom Vitale. In the petition she filed with the Los Angeles Superior Court, the celebrity chef cited “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the split.
Vitale and Bertinelli were have been separated since December 2019, according to divorce papers obtained by People. Bertinelli first met the financial planner and entrepreneur in 2004, They got engaged six years later in March 2010 before marrying in January 2011.