Valerie Bertinelli marked six years since Eddie Van Halen’s death with a simple Instagram tribute: a photo of the two of them in a car, captioned that memories and love never fade. The post didn’t stay simple for long. Critical comments rolled in from people who felt she should have moved on from her late ex-husband, and Bertinelli answered with a video that pulled zero punches.
In it, she described the backlash as coercive control, calling it“insidious”and“soul-breaking,”and made clear she refuses to be shamed for who she loves. The two were married for 26 years, from 1981 to 2007, and share son Wolfgang Van Halen. A divorce, she pointed out in her own way, doesn’t erase a family or a history. Her heart, as she put it, has room for Ed, her son, her daughter-in-law, and everyone she loves.
Her closing line has become the moment everyone’s sharing:“I love Ed. Never stopped loving Ed. And my heart loves a lot. Don’t you wish yours could, too?”It’s a raw look at how grief, blended families, and old love actually work, and it landed with anyone who’s ever lost someone complicated. What do you think, does love ever really clock out?
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.