FOOD Network’s Valerie Bertinelli stunned fans after she supposedly stepped out with her new boyfriend without them realizing.
The 63-year-old television star was seen in New York City between takes of the Drew Barrymore Show on Wednesday.
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Valerie appeared to go public with her new boyfriend, but fans thought he was a security guard.
The cookbook author wore a tight green satin dress which she covered with an oversized black jacket.
Her brunette locks were lightly styled and she completed her look with her iconic black thick-framed glasses.
She walked through the rain while a staff member covered her with an umbrella.
Another man, who is not yet named, stood slightly behind her as she walked along the street.
He wore a nondescript casual outfit that looked as if he could’ve been a security guard.
Valerie’s supposed beau donned green camo pants with a zipped up black jacket.
He also wore a baseball cap and black sneakers.
Valerie did not appear to interact with him much and they both walked along at a distance for most of the walk.
One eagle-eyed fan, however, captured a photo of the man placing a hand on Valerie’s back.
They uploaded the photo via Instagram Threads and captioned the post “Hiding in plain sight.”
“No idea who the security guy is but you look great,” they added.
Valerie split from her ex-husband Tom Vitale in 2022 after a decade together.
The star has since found a new man, but remained private.
Valerie had been open about finding love after her divorce from Tom, but she preferred to keep his identity private.
LOVE STORY
In an interview with USA Today, she revealed that she had not been planning on entering a new relationship and initially resolved to remain single.
“He was not on my radar. I was going to die with my six cats and my dog and be incredibly happy doing it. So this came out of left field, and I’m grateful it did. He’s very special,” she said.
The star also claimed that her new relationship was different from her previous.
“It’s unlike any relationship that I’ve ever experienced with a man,” she added. “I don’t want to say too much, but I feel incredibly blessed and lucky to have met him, because I wasn’t expecting it!”
I am Valerie Bertinelli’s boyfriend… and that may well be among the most surreal sentences I’ve ever pecked out
Mike Goodnough
At the time, she refused to give a name, but revealed that he was a television writer and lived on the East Coast.
Some fans did some investigating and found that her boyfriend went by the name Hoarse Whisperer online.
“It was strictly platonic but there was something about him that I connected with that felt familiar,” she told People.
SPEAKING OUT
Since the digging, Valerie has opened up and confirmed that is her current boyfriend.
Hoarse Whisperer, real name Mike Goodnough, revealed the news on his Substack.
“I am Valerie Bertinelli’s boyfriend… and that may well be among the most surreal sentences I’ve ever pecked out,” he wrote in an essay on his page.
“But it’s true… and nothing about our actual relationship seems surreal. It just seems… good… lucky… a gift.”
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