Valerie Bertinelli Breaks up With Her New Love Whom She Met After Painful Divorce – Who Is Her Ex-boyfriend?
Despite the heartache and challenges Bertinelli faced in the past, love found its way back into her life. The cookbook author revealed a new relationship in April 2024. In an exclusive interview with People, she announced the unexpected turn her life took.
“I’m in love,” she said. “It’s a seesaw of emotions because I was adamant I was never falling in love again. I was supposed to die with my six cats and my dog, and very happily live the rest of my years alone — I’m good alone.”
This romance began suddenly, in a thoroughly modern way. She first connected with this person, an East Coast writer, on Instagram a few years ago when he slid “into her DMs.”
They initially had a platonic friendship, but it gradually evolved into something more because she’d found something in him that “felt familiar.”
“It’s crazy the comfort level,” Bertinelli shared. “It feels incredibly right.” At the time, her raw honesty was met with an outpouring of support from fans, especially after a particular Instagram post about him.
After mentioning her healing process which started in 2022, she wrote, “[…] This man is worth fighting the rest of my demons for. He is the most thoughtful, kind, gentle, intelligent, funny, and grateful man I’ve ever met. And look at him.”
Several users were quick to comment. One added, “I’m so happy for you! You deserve it all!” Another said, “He looks awesome! I’m glad you found each other!”
At the time, the East Coast writer also got admiring comments on his personal Instagram. One user wrote, “Those eyes [sic].” Another person added, “[…] Nice eyes/shirt combination.”
Unfortunately, the couple has just announced their split.
No Longer Together
On November 5, 2024, a source confirmed to People that Bertinelli and her man had separated after trying to maintain a long-distance relationship since January. In July, the actress had spoken to the magazine about how hard it had been to adhere to their “three-week rule” of seeing each other.
For his part, her now ex-boyfriend had said, “Valerie and I are the only two people with insight into our relationship. Neither of us pays much attention to chatter among people outside of it.”
Regardless of their breakup, many people might be curious about the mysterious man who had entered her life after her past marriages. Let’s find out more about him!
Who Was Her New Man?
Bertinelli’s now ex-boyfriend was Mike Goodnough. He’s a writer and photographer who uses the online moniker “The Hoarse Whisperer.”
Goodnough, 54, has a background in marketing and communications. Throughout his career, he has worked with many high-profile companies including AT&T, Verizon, HBO, BMW, and many others.
Back in April 2024, the writer confirmed his relationship with Bertinelli in a post on his Substack, uploading:
“I am Valerie Bertinelli’s boyfriend… and that may well be among the most surreal sentences I’ve ever pecked out. But it’s true… and nothing about our actual relationship seems surreal. It just seems… good… lucky… a gift.”
Goodnough describes himself as a writer, photographer, and father in his social media bios. He has been self-employed for over a decade, having left the corporate world just before his son was born.
His background in marketing provided him with a unique perspective on celebrities and media, while his career outside entertainment offered a refreshing change for Bertinelli.
He’s a Single Father
One of the most defining aspects of Goodnough’s life is his role as a devoted single father to a teenage son, 17. The writer has been open about prioritizing his parental role above all else, even at the cost of financial stability. He explained this on a long X thread.
He spoke about his father’s struggles with depression and the impact it had on his upbringing. Determined to break the cycle, Goodnough dedicated himself to being a present and emotionally available parent. He has also shared touching moments from his journey as a father on social media.
On Instagram, he recalled the day his son came home from the hospital after a challenging birth. He said it was the “happiest day of my life” and his “happiest anniversary every year since.” He has also posted about everyday moments, like sharing breakfast with his teenager.
The Failed Long-Distance Relationship
Periods of separation can contribute to trouble for most couples. Bertinelli resides in Los Angeles, while the writer was still on the East Coast throughout their relationship.
Although they were both honest about the difficulties of this arrangement, Goodnough highlighted a silver lining: the distance makes their time together even more precious. In several now-deleted Instagram posts, the writer showed these touching moments with Bertinelli.
Furthermore, in June 2024, they took their relationship forward by making a red carpet debut at the 51st annual Daytime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles. It was Goodnough’s first time at such an event.
While talking to ET, Bertinelli playfully referred to him as a “virgin” on the red carpet and laughed. But she also couldn’t contain her admiration for him.
She gushed about his qualities, “He’s brilliant. He’s smart. He’s funny. He’s talented. Amazing writer. He’s kind. He’s thoughtful. He’s patient with me, God knows I need a lot of patience.”
Goodnough reciprocated the sentiment, praising Bertinelli’s authenticity and kindness. Although it was hard to be apart, Goodnough maintained a pragmatic outlook on their situation. He compared their long-distance relationship to that of married couples where one partner travels for work.
Over the past months, they even showed a playful side on social media, attempting to create trendy videos and sharing humorous results with their followers.
These light-hearted moments delighted fans, who wrote comments such as, “You look amazing, Valerie! And SO happy; love to see you this way!” Another person added, “He looks so beautiful and happy. I love that smile keep smiling [sic].”
Sadly, their relationship has come to an end, but it’s a part of life. Hopefully, Bertinelli will continue on her wellness journey and both will find happiness in the future.