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Remember when these two were married?
By Olivia Jakiel — Written on Feb 19, 2021
Legendary rock star Eddie Van Halen passed away after a five-year battle with throat cancer on Oct. 6, 2020. He was 65 years old.
His son, Wolfgang, shared a touching tribute about his dad’s passing on Twitter, which read, “I can’t believe I have to write this, but my father, Edward Lodewijk Van Halen, has lost his long and arduous battle with cancer this morning. He was the best father I could ever ask for. Every moment I’ve shared with him on stage and off stage was a gift. My heart is broken and I don’t think I’ll ever fully recover from this loss. I love you so much, pop."
Van Halen’s ex-wife, Valerie Bertinelli, retweeted the gut-wrenching tweet without comment.
Now, more than four months after Van Halen's death, Bertinelli is opening up about her ex's death and the impact it's had on her and their son.
When did Eddie Van Halen and Valerie Bertinelli get divorced?
After more than twenty years of marriage, Eddie Van Halen and Valerie Bertinelli finalized their divorce in 2007; however, their relationship was somewhat complicated leading up to their official split.
Let’s backtrack to the beginning, shall we?
Van Halen and Bertinelli got married on April 11, 1981 in Westwood, California. She was only 21 years old at the time and Van Halen was 25. Noel Monk, manager of Van Halen (the band), wrote about the day in his book, Runnin’ with the Devil.
"It was kind of cute to see them together — they were both clearly nervous and somewhat reticent. This struck me as a sign of genuine chemistry,” Monk wrote.
“After all, Valerie had spent most of her life in front of a camera or audience; she was completely comfortable with all manner of public interaction. And yet, here she was, stammering and blushing like a schoolgirl in the presence of the captain of the football team,” he continued.
“And Edward? Here was a guy who went out on stage every night and performed, wizardlike, in front of thousands of adoring fans. In the presence of this young woman, however, the rock star facade melted away."
Why did Van Halen and Valerie Bertinelli get divorced?
Like every couple, Van Halen and Bertinelli had their fair share of problems; however, theirs were much more serious than your typical nitpicking or everyday annoyances.
Cheating allegations on both sides plagued the couple, as well as drug and alcohol abuse, among other issues.
Ten years after the couple had their first child in 1991, they decided to separate.
"One of the many reasons that Ed and I split up is to give Wolfie a better vision of what two people who are supposedly in love treat each other like,” Valerie told Oprah in 2008.
“Ed and I weren't treating each other like two people that loved each other, and that's what Wolfie was seeing. So I'm hoping that when he does get married and start a life for himself, that he takes his time and marries a friend and not just someone that he can't keep his hands off."
Who are Van Halen and Valerie Bertinelli’s kids?
Eddie Van Halen and Valerie Bertinelli have one child together: Wolfgang Van Halen, who is now 29 years old and is the bassist in his father’s band.
Bertinelli opened up about Van Halen's death on Today on Feb. 18.
"It’s weird," she said to Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager. "Grief shame is something I never thought would happen to me. I don’t want to talk about it right now, but I knew the man for 40 years. I was 20 when I met him. I still loved him. We spent a lot of time together. He’s the father of my son."
"He’s the father of the greatest gift in my life," Bertinelli added. "And I miss him. And I’m allowed to miss him."
Even though the pair's relationship didn't work out, the Food Network star still holds his memory close to her heart.
"He was a huge part of my life," she revealed. "Just because we loved each other didn’t lessen the love that he had for Janie or me for Tom, so it’s a different kind of love. I don’t know how to explain it. Maybe one day I’ll figure it out and write a book about it."
Olivia Jakiel is an editor and writer who covers celebrity and entertainment news. Follow her on Instagram and keep up with her zingers on Twitter.