Valerie Bertinelli Lives A Lavish Life
Valerie Bertinelli has been working for most of her life. When she was just a teenager, she began her acting career in earnest, rising to fame for playing Barbara Cooper on the hit sitcom "One Day at a Time." During her reign as a comedy TV actor, Bertinelli married rock star Eddie Van Halen of the band Van Halen and started a life with him. Between a fruitful acting career and a relationship with a seriously successful musician, Bertinelli had access to some serious means. For decades now, the actor and Food Network chef has been able to live far more comfortably than most people on the planet. "Why can't we indulge every flipping day of our lives? We only have one of these," Bertinelli said to The Washington Post in an interview.
And indulge she does. Granted, Bertinelli was referring to eating in the interview as she was promoting her 2024 cookbook "Indulge." The star also said to USA Today in a separate interview about the cookbook, "We need to allow ourselves the pleasure of our lives. Food is a big, important part of my life." But judging by other aspects of her life, Bertinelli does not limit her indulgences to what she eats. From the cars she's purchased to the places she's visited, Valerie Bertinelli lives quite a lavish life.
Valerie Bertinelli has lived in stunning homes
Valerie Bertinelli has lived in some pretty swanky places. Until 2022, Bertinelli called a Los Angeles mansion home. "Today, I live in a comfortable, rambling ranch house in Studio City in LA. We have a beautiful live oak in the backyard, and I love my library and my burgundy armchair and ottoman," Bertinelli said in 2022 to The Wall Street Journal of her home at the time. The place boasted a pool in the backyard and gorgeous views of the San Fernando Valley. The home wasn't meant to be hers forever, though. After separating from her ex-husband Tom Vitale, Bertinelli put the mansion up for sale, asking $2.5 million.
Over 20 years ago, Bertinelli purchased a different house for nearly as much as she asked for the aforementioned place. After separating from Eddie Van Halen, Bertinelli bought a house in the Hollywood Hills for around $2.25 million. The house was noted for its expansive 5,200 square feet on nearly an acre of land, high ceilings, and walk-in closets. In any home of Bertinelli's, though, her favorite room has been her kitchen. In 2021, she gave her Studio City space a bit of an update. "As you know, the kitchen is my safe space where I get creative, feel inspired, and enjoy my own company while coming up with new recipes and menu ideas, so a bit of a makeover or update goes a long way!" she said on Instagram.
She is an avid traveler
Valerie Bertinelli likes to travel around the world. And being the supportive mother that she is, she's been known to combine her love for her son, Wolfgang Van Halen, with her love of traveling by following him on tour. In 2021, Bertinelli joined Van Halen for some stops on his band's North American tour. While she didn't specify every show that she was at, she did document particularly special venues, like their show at Fenway Park in Boston and another in Phoenix.
Bertinelli opened up about her traveling habits in an interview, noting that although she appreciates something swanky, she's just as happy staying at a dive. "I'll stay in the least expensive hotel, and I will stay in a beautiful hotel just to spoil myself. I am OK anywhere you want to put me. Do I love the prettier hotels more? Sure. I mean, I like to indulge in those as well, but I love traveling [and] I love new experiences. I also love going back and finding new experiences in places I've been to before," Bertinelli told Travel + Leisure, mentioning that she had just taken her son to Amsterdam because she hadn't visited since before he was born. "I wanted to see it through his eyes. I wanted to enjoy it," Bertinelli said of the trip.
Valerie Bertinelli wears designer shoes
Valerie Bertinelli doesn't talk much about the clothes and shoes she wears, but some of her options are clearly from high-priced designers. After separating from her ex-husband Tom Vitale, the TV chef purged her closet of some keepsakes she had from their wedding. "Dropped a few things off with @therealreal. A couple of Tiffany rings that have some bad memories attached and a pair of shoes I wore to a wedding in January 2011," Bertinelli captioned the Instagram post, referring to the pair of Jimmy Choo shoes she wore for the event. Though it's not unusual for a person to splurge for a special occasion, most don't have the wallet to splurge on a pair of Jimmy Choo shoes. The expensive footwear hovers at around $1,000 per pair.
Bertinelli spends money on attire for other special occasions, too. In 2024, Bertinelli's son, Wolfgang Van Halen, was nominated for a best original song Oscar for his contributions to the "Barbie" hit "I'm Just Ken," and Bertinelli accompanied him to the ceremony. The actor arrived in a vintage Richard Tyler suit, the blazer of which retails secondhand on The Real Real for $225. Bertinelli didn't share much else about her outfit for the awards show, but she did note on her Instagram story that temperatures on the red carpet were hot, as People reported. Even those who wear designer clothes have to suffer the wiles of the weather.
She has owned nice diamonds
Valerie Bertinelli has owned some expensive jewelry in the past. While married to Tom Vitale, Bertinelli was in possession of a couple of diamond bands from Tiffany & Co. The TV chef sold the rings when her marriage dissolved but probably made a tidy profit considering their original price. Diamond bands from the iconic jewelry retailer cost at least a couple of thousand dollars, with the higher quality pieces surpassing $10,000. But just because she can spend the money on a pricey ring doesn't mean it's something she likes to do. As Bertinelli said on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," "[The ring] was from Tiffany's. I said [to Tom], 'Why did you spend so much money? Why did you go to Tiffany's? You should've gone someplace else with cheaper jewelry'" (via Digital Spy).
Not wanting to spend all her cash on diamonds doesn't mean she doesn't appreciate jewelry. The actor is fond of the brand Alex Woo, and she shared some of her favorite pieces from the designer. "I have a few (and I'm always pining for more) but I'll choose two, my Taurus the bull (to remind me of my strength) and my Fleur de Lis (the symbol atop our family crest)," Bertinelli said in an interview for Alex Woo. The diamond bull necklace Bertinelli mentioned retails for nearly $1,000. Not quite Tiffany & Co. prices, but certainly not a cheap piece.
Valerie Bertinelli prefers one make of car
Everybody has something they're willing to spend money on. Although Valerie Bertinelli doesn't like to buy ungodly expensive jewels, she's been known to drop major money on cars. While she was growing up, the actor's father worked for GM, making her partial to the brand. Bertinelli even stayed loyal to it when she was able to purchase her own car. "My first car was a Chevy Chevette hatchback. It was white with a burgundy tweed interior ... I was starring on TV's 'One Day at a Time,' so I had money to buy the car. I couldn't wait to drive. The car meant freedom," Bertinelli wrote in The Wall Street Journal.
Bertinelli didn't just purchase cars for herself — she gifted her ex-husband multiple vehicles throughout their marriage. Bertinelli was married to Eddie Van Halen of the band Van Halen, and he loved cars, too. As a wedding gift to Van Halen, Bertinelli bought a 1970 Lamborghini Miura S, Chassis #4701. The car was so beloved by Van Halen that its noises were recorded for the band's song "Panama." The car's original MSRP was $6,900, which equals about $55,500 in today's dollars, but this particular make and model is far more valuable today than it was when it was first released, averaging about $1.1 million per sale. Bertinelli likely spent more than $6,900 on the vehicle, though. She and Van Halen didn't wed until 1981.
She's got expensive taste in wine
Valerie Bertinelli doesn't always drink alcohol, but when she does, it's the good stuff. In April 2024, the actor opened up about a transformation she went through in which she reevaluated her relationship with alcohol. While writing her memoir, Bertinelli toyed with giving up alcohol because she felt that it was a way for her to ignore issues she needed to work through. "I would go out and have a fun time, drink, and the next day, I'd be so sad, because there was so much sadness in my life, and alcohol amplified it," Bertinelli told People. Eventually, she decided that mostly abstaining from alcohol would allow her to feel her best. "I don't need anything to amplify my happiness right now. I feel high just on life. I recently went out to dinner with a friend, and I had ginger ale in a wine glass. And it felt like I was celebrating," she said.
But Bertinelli's sobriety is selective. "If I really, really want to have a drink, I will," the Food Network star said. As noted, when she chooses to drink, Bertinelli has access to wines that she owns, Bertinelli Estates wine. Among the Bertinelli Estates options are a Moscato, a Chardonnay, a Sangiovese, and more. The prices hover around $26 per bottle, and drinkers have rated some of the labels four out of five stars on Vivino.
Valerie Bertinelli flies private
There's a reason the general population doesn't run into celebrities on airplanes all that often. Many celebrities fly private, Valerie Bertinelli included. The Food Network star has arrived at her destination via the swankiest of all transportation methods in the past, and Bertinelli posted a picture to Facebook back in 2017 ahead of a flight to Arkansas to mark one such occasion. Depending on the size of the plane that's chartered, it costs anywhere from $1,300 to $13,000 per hour for a private flight. Bertinelli didn't specify where she was flying from, but the roundtrip flight was likely at least a few hours total, so it's reasonable to assume it cost at least $3,000 for her to get to and from her destination. The actor was traveling for business reasons, though, so it's possible she wasn't paying the bill herself. Either way, someone was spending lots of money on Bertinelli's flight.
Though Bertinelli doesn't own her own jet (that's a luxury that truly only a few can afford given the unreal price of purchase and upkeep), she has no problem with others owning one. In 2023, when social media was rife with commentary on Taylor Swift's carbon footprint due to her private jet usage, Bertinelli weighed in on Twitter, saying, "Oh shut the f*** up it would be exponentially more disruptive for her to fly commercially."
Her first wedding reception had a major price tag
Valerie Bertinelli's adult life was lavish from the start. She had money going into adulthood thanks to her flourishing acting career, and then she married Eddie Van Halen in 1981, a rock and roll superstar at the height of his career. Their luxurious life together started with an incredibly expensive wedding. The two spent a reported $35,000 on the affair, which equals about $120,200 in today's dollars. Although that's nothing compared to the price of some celebrity weddings, it still far outweighs the price of the average wedding (which, ironically, is around $35,000 in 2024).
The expensive wedding must've been more than worth it for Van Halen and Bertinelli, though. Soon after the event, the newlyweds both gushed that it was a good decision. "Even when I feel sad now, I've never felt more fulfilled. It's crazy. I never thought anything could be this wonderful. Everything, good or bad, is ... euphoric," Bertinelli said to People (via First for Women). Despite their affection for one another, Bertinelli and Van Halen separated after 20 years of marriage, and their divorce was finalized after 25. Bertinelli did say later that because she didn't take alimony or child support in her divorce, she worried about money for the first time in her life. Everything seemingly panned out, though, and the Food Network star is now worth an estimated $20 million.
Valerie Bertinelli owns some pricey kitchen items
Cooking is an expensive hobby, starting with the tools required. Professional chefs are particularly partial to pricey kitchen tools, and Valerie Bertinelli is no exception. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people turned to cooking and baking to keep themselves occupied, seeking advice from people like Bertinelli on what kitchen items to buy. In a video for "Today," the Food Network star shared her top five kitchen items, and some of them were quite expensive. On her list was a Nespresso milk frother that retails for $99. That price might not seem too high on its own, but keep in mind that most frothers can be purchased for $10 or less.
Another expensive item on Bertinelli's list was a Le Creuset nonstick pan. Le Creuset is a notoriously lavish brand, and its nonstick pans today start at around $110. "These are the nonstick pans that I use every single day! I have them in a bunch of sizes, these are only four of them — I have more!" Bertinelli said of her Le Creuset pans. Bertinelli spent at least $400 on her nonstick pan quartet, and even more when you consider the ones she mentioned but didn't show. Finally, the chef mentioned that she loves to use specialty salts in her cooking, particularly ones from Saltopia, which can cost up to $25 per pound. A pound of Morton salt, meanwhile, can be purchased at Walmart for around $3.
She makes enough money to support herself and her ex
Valerie Bertinelli makes more than enough money to support herself, and according to court documents, she makes more than enough money to support her ex-husband, too. In 2011, a few years after her divorce from Eddie Van Halen was finalized, Bertinelli married Tom Vitale. "I could have spent the rest of my life with Tom and not be married, but I wanted to call him 'my husband. I really wanted to share how I feel about Tom with the people I love," Bertinelli told People just after exchanging vows. The fairy tale didn't last forever, though, and in 2021, the actor filed for legal separation from Vitale, later asking for a divorce. Bertinelli and Vitale had signed a prenuptial agreement, but Vitale contested the agreement and sought spousal support. Per the documents Vitale filed, Bertinelli makes an estimated $175,000 per month, and he was asking for $50,000 per month in support.
The two eventually settled and finalized their divorce, though the exact terms have not been made public as of this writing. What was made public is Bertinelli's new relationship status. "I'm in love. It's a seesaw of emotions because I was adamant I was never falling in love again ... I found joy first, and then a man entered my life," Bertinelli told People in early 2024. Bertinelli has not disclosed whether she has to financially support her new boyfriend.