Valerie Bertinelli's Most Brutally Honest Digs Over The Years

Thanks to roles in the original 1975 "One Day at a Time" series, '90s religious drama "Touched by an Angel," and ensemble sitcom "Hot in Cleveland" — not to mention her unlikely pivot into the Food Network — Valerie Bertinelli has been a fixture on our TV screens since the mid-1970s. Thanks to her high-profile marriage to — and amicable divorce from — the late rock and roll legend Eddie Van Halen, and a willingness to speak her truth on her various social media accounts, the multi-talent has become just as much of a mainstay in the tabloid press, too.

Indeed, Bertinelli certainly isn't afraid to tell things like it is, whether it's slamming pop stars for their lack of manners, calling out her former bosses for their lack of creative foresight, or clapping back at the online trolls who feel the need to attack her from every angle. Here's a look at 14 times the Golden Globe winner showed no mercy to those who crossed her.

What do Avril Lavigne, Mariah Carey, and Valerie Bertinelli all have in common? Well, they've all publicly called out Christina Aguilera, the pop superstar who has a reputation for throwing shade, for her diva antics over the years. In fact, the "Hot in Cleveland" star has done so twice.

In a 2008 radio interview, Bertinelli explained (via the Daily Mail) that her beef stems from a brush-off at a Van Halen gig: "And I thought, 'You know what? Forget you! I don't need your new album!' What's up with that? She's too young to be blowing people off." And it seems as though Bertinelli was still seething about the mean girl encounter seven years on, too.

When asked about Aguilera during an appearance on "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen," the actor revealed that she'd initially been a fan of the "Genie in a Bottle" hitmaker beforehand. But her admiration soon dissipated when after complimenting on her vocals, the singer replied, "Yeah, whatever." Bertinelli added, "She gave me the cold shoulder, and I thought, 'B***h, I'm a fan. You can't be nice to me?'" Sticking the knife in further, the star concluded, "She might have gotten better. But I heard she hasn't."

Valerie Bertinelli's resolution for 2024 appeared to be to silence anyone who can't stop talking negatively about her appearance. Just two days into the New Year, the former Food Network favorite uploaded an Instagram video to call out her online body, hair, and filter shamers.

The "Hot in Cleveland" star began by explaining (via Today) why she wasn't relying on any visual effects on this particular occasion: "Some of y'all get really bent out of shape when I choose to use a filter, which I've told you about, sometimes I use a filter and sometimes I don't. Most of the time, I do use a filter because this is me with no makeup, and this is no filter."

Then the subject turned to the rumors that she wore a wig. While running her fingers through the hair follicles she confirmed were very much her own, Bertinelli asked anyone still skeptical if they could find her a wig without any gray roots. The multi-talent acknowledged that only a small fraction of her followers are so obsessed with how she looks. But referring to the 0.01% who are, she essentially advised them to chill out.

Valerie Bertinelli certainly doesn't appear to look back at her first marriage with rose-tinted spectacles. Four years after the passing of her rock star ex-husband, Eddie Van Halen, the "Touched by an Angel" star took to Instagram to peel back the dark layers of her final years of marriage with the musician before they officially divorced in 2007.

Bertinelli felt compelled to speak out after watching the 2024 "Behind the Music" episode featuring the son she shared with the virtuoso guitarist, Wolfgang Van Halen. "Even though [Wolfgang] turned out magnificently, I made a lot of mistakes," she told her followers (via People). "Seeing that I had turned Ed's and my relationship into some sort of fantasy soulmate recreation of history."

Following the "Jump" hitmaker's death in 2020, the actor admitted that she willingly played the grieving widow of a man she had split from 20 years previously. But Bertinelli also explained how soon after falling in love with Eddie, their relationship took a dark and rapid turn into the sex, drugs, and rock and roll lifestyle: "Nothing that makes you feel loved and wanted and cared for. Nothing that would scream soulmate, that's for sure."

It seems fair to say that Valerie Bertinelli isn't always the most tactful individual, particularly when it comes to the thorny issue of weight loss. According to various reports, fellow sitcom actor Kirstie Alley and Bertinelli did not get along for a long time, and Alley once found herself on the receiving end of what was perceived as an insensitive way with words.

After the former "Cheers" star disclosed that she had put on roughly 83 pounds in 2009, Bertinelli offered some advice, which some interpreted as helpful, but others as rather patronizing. "She should come work out with me!" the star told People (via Fox News). "She should remember you can't do everything in one day [and] her exercise has to be consistent. She can do this. There's no doubt in my mind."

Bertinelli's remarks, whether intentionally catty or not, only gave more credence to rumors that the pair were sworn enemies, with their roles as Jenny Craig spokeswomen apparently the root cause. According to an anonymous insider, Alley – who sadly died in 2022 – had hoped that her exit from the weight loss brand would trigger a downturn in sales. But instead, Bertinelli, the celebrity Alley herself had recruited to endorse the brand, helped the company to flourish.

Valerie Bertinelli sure put one particular TikTok user in their place in 2023 after leaving an unflattering comment about her appearance. The drama began when the former Food Network regular noticed that a follower had written, "The Botox looks great," on a video she uploaded.

"I know you didn't mean that as a compliment, but let's talk about it, shall we?" Bertinelli began her clap back in a follow-up clip (via People). The multi-talent then freely admitted that she used Botox in the past, but it didn't agree with her. After finding photo evidence from six years previously, she went on to explain why the online troll was now wide off the mark.

"As you can see from that picture, it doesn't look like me," Bertinelli said, referring to how the procedure changed her eyebrow shape. "And what I thought it was going to do was help me with my genetically puffy eyes. They've always annoyed me. I've always wanted those deep-set eyes. Don't have 'em. Never going to get 'em. So, just live with it." The actor, who insisted that she didn't have a problem with anyone else using Botox, then addressed the TikTok user who tried to call her out: "Don't shame somebody if they want to do something, anything, to make themselves feel better as they go out into this insane, flippin' crazy world, okay?"

"Autopsy: The Last Hours of..." has always been one of the ickiest celebrity-based shows on our screens. As its title suggests, the long-running series, which airs on the Reelz network in the United States, rakes over the closing moments of a tragic famous figure's life. And in 2022, Eddie Van Halen was chosen as its latest victim.

Understandably, the guitarist's ex-wife and the son they shared weren't particularly happy with having their trauma exploited in the name of entertainment. "Good Christ this is disgusting," tweeted Valerie Bertinelli following the episode's premiere.

Wolfgang Van Halen, who like his mom, met his partner on Instagram, was even more enraged, posting a message on X, formerly known as Twitter, which gave the finger to both those who worked on the show and those who watch it: "F***ing disgusting trying to glamorize someone's death from cancer. Pathetic and heartless." Reelz subsequently issued a response, claiming that the show had been praised for its medical accuracy by professionals, heightens awareness of certain health issues, and provides fans with closure.

Having fronted no fewer than 14 seasons of her cooking show, "Valerie's Home Cooking," Valerie Bertinelli used to be one of the Food Network's most ubiquitous faces. But in the spring of 2023, the multi-talent was told that her culinary services were no longer required.

Bertinelli waited a full year after her show ended to air her thoughts about the direction the channel was heading. And she did so with a bit of delicious shade. The actor — who also won two Daytime Emmys during her stint as host of the Food Network's "Kids Baking Championship" – actually started her Threads post by revealing how she fell in love with the Food Network back in the 1990s due to all its educational shows based in the kitchen.

After citing the likes of Ina Garten, Rachael Ray, and Giada De Laurentiis as some of her favorite former colleagues, Bertinelli delivered the killer blow. "I learned so much," she said (via People). "It's sad it's not about cooking and learning any longer. Oh well, that's just business, folks."

Valerie Bertinelli has no fear when it comes to giving her two cents about TV networks' programming decisions. In 2015, she made it crystal clear that she wasn't happy with TV Land for putting an end to "Hot in Cleveland," the hit sitcom that also starred Wendie Malick, Jane Leeves, and Betty White.

Bertinelli — who played writer Melanie Hope Moretti in the comedy that ran for six seasons — was initially rather diplomatic about the decision. In a 2015 interview with Global News, she appeared to accept that the network had hit the cancelation button because it wanted to attract a younger demographic. The actor also acknowledged that she and her co-stars were grateful to have graced a primetime show in the first place in a landscape which isn't always kind to women of a certain age.

However, over the years, Bertinelli appeared to get angrier about "Hot in Cleveland" being taken off the air before its time. "I'm still p***ed off that TV Land canceled us," she told The Wrap in 2019. "I think it was the stupidest thing they ever did."

Valerie Bertinelli sure didn't hold back in the wake of her divorce from her second husband, Tom Vitale, in 2022. In fact, she described the day that the papers officially went through as the second best of her life!

Indeed, the actor couldn't contain her glee at the time, despite the fact that she also had to hand over $2.2 million to the financial planner due to a pre-nuptial agreement. And when you learn of just how toxic things turned between the former couple — who walked down the aisle together at a California ceremony in 2011 — you will understand why. "I have been screamed at so many times and told how fat and lazy I am," Bertinelli revealed to her Instagram followers (via People) after news of the split broke.

"I realize ... that was someone just projecting on me whatever they needed to project on me," she explained. "But my part in all of it was believing it, and I don't believe it anymore. But it still doesn't stop the feelings from coming up and the hurt." The multi-talent then further stuck the knife in on TikTok with a short clip in which she remarked, "You know, there is a difference between talking s*** about a person and talking truth about a s****y person."

Many people believe Elon Musk has run X, the platform and company formerly known as Twitter, into the ground since taking over as CEO in 2022. And that includes a certain "One Day at a Time" star who was so irritated by the changes he made that she decided to impersonate the billionaire on his own platform.

Yes, in 2022, Valerie Bertinelli decided to change her account name to Elon Musk in a bid to prove another inherent flaw in the social media's new verification system. "The blue checkmark simply meant your identity was verified," the Golden Globe winner explained about the change that allowed any users to receive the same privilege for $7.99 a month. "Scammers would have a harder time impersonating you. That no longer applies. Good luck out there!"

Bertinelli also posted several political tweets while still using Musk's name, which fooled many into thinking that the entrepreneur had switched allegiances. "Okey-dokey I've had my fun and I think I made my point," the actor concluded before returning to her more familiar moniker. "I'm just not a 'trending' kind of gal. Never have been, never want to be."

Judging by her defense of the nation's era-defining pop star, Valerie Bertinelli appears to be something of a hardcore Swiftie. Yes, the "Touched by an Angel" star didn't waste any time in castigating a certain section of the online community who expressed skepticism over Taylor Swift's latest celebrity romance.

"Can all of you Negative Nellies just stop? Stop," the Golden Globe winner said on TikTok (via The Independent), referring to critics of Swift and her footballer boyfriend, Travis Kelce. "Let the rest of us enjoy watching two successful, funny, talented, incredibly gorgeous human beings — let us enjoy watching them fall in love."

Further proof of Bertinelli's fangirling came when she went Instagram official with her own new beau in 2024. "I'll drink what you think and I'm high from smokin' your jokes all damn night," the actor captioned a loved-up photo of herself and boyfriend Mike Goodnough. For those unfamiliar with Swift's oeuvre, this is a lyric from "The Tortured Poets Department" track, "So High School."

To celebrate Pride Month 2023, Valerie Bertinelli took to Instagram to post a since-deleted photo of herself sporting the kind of dazzling outfit Sir Elton John would be proud to call his own. The image was captioned, "Help End LGBTQ+ Stigma. Let Your Inner Elton Out," a slogan referencing the Rocket Man's eponymous AIDS foundation and its $125 million fight against the disease.

Unfortunately, not all of the actor's followers appreciated this display of support for the LGBTQ+ cause. After receiving a barrage of derogatory messages, Bertinelli decided it was about time she gave such homophobes a piece of her mind. "I just learned a little lesson in hate today. Wow," she began an Instagram Story (via the Daily Mail). "Shocked, actually. I can't believe there's that many of you out there that follow me that would be so hateful."

The former "Kids Baking Championship" host then reaffirmed that her social media accounts were very much about the opposite mindset, before adding, "I mean, these people just want to exist without being killed, without ... anything happening to them. But here you are, throwing out more hate, fear." She then implored those who took umbrage with her initial post to open up their hearts and be more accepting.

Valerie Bertinelli felt compelled to speak out in 2021 after being targeted by online trolls over her weight. After doing what every famous person is advised not to do — read the comments — on a recipe she posted, the actor spotted an unkind remark about her size. And on the verge of tears, she answered back in typically candid style.

"Because see, I don't have a scale or I don't have clothes that I'm trying to put on every day, and I don't have mirrors so I don't see what's become of me," Bertinelli said with a hint of sarcasm (via Page Six). "So I needed that help to let me know that I need to lose weight." The actor then told the commenter in question that their unnecessary jibe was both unhelpful and inconsiderate, adding, "Because when you see somebody who has put some weight on, my first thought is, 'That person is obviously going through some things.'"

Bertinelli went on to say she's been conscious about her weight throughout her entire life, and she's now tired of having to fight such a fight. She added that she thought about deleting her response to the hater before she started receiving messages from followers who could relate. "We all could use a little more kindness and patience and grace, because we just never know what someone else is going through," she wrote.

The last thing any celebrity wants after collecting their baggage at the airport is to be ambushed by an opportunistic TMZ paparazzo. Even more so if they're then constantly asking questions about the random topic of Jessica Simpson's weight.

So we think that Valerie Bertinelli was rather restrained in her response to the annoyingly nosey man who did just that as she headed home from John F. Kennedy Airport in New York. The off-camera individual first tried to creep up to the actor at baggage claim by reminiscing about the times he used to watch "One Day at a Time" with his family. He then followed her outside the arrivals gate and into the open air as Bertinelli tried to get rid of him with the silent treatment.

When that didn't work, and the intrusive questioner continued to waffle on about Simpson, Bertinelli then offered some invaluable advice: "Better watch your mouth." Thankfully, after another 20 seconds of mild stalking, the man decided to cut his losses and wished the star a good night.