VALERIE Bertinelli has revealed she met her mystery boyfriend online as she finally dished on the new man in her life.
The Hot in Cleveland actress has appeared to be rebounding nicely from her recent divorce from financial planner Tom Vitale and her rocky exit from the Food Network.
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Valerie, 63, announced she was in love during her recent cover story interview with People while promoting her new cookbook, Indulge.
The former Kids Baking Championship host confessed, “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,” she jokingly continued before assuring that she would “very happily live the rest of my years alone.
“I’m good alone,” Valerie added.
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She giddily admitted, “My belly is flip-flopping,” when discussing her new beau – an East Coast writer whose name she chose not to reveal.
The pair met on Instagram and Valerie assured their relationship started off being “strictly platonic” before adding, “But there was something about him that I connected with that felt familiar.”
“It’s crazy the comfort level,” she divulged while also stating that the newly romantic relationship “feels incredibly right.”
Valerie also affirmed that falling in love wasn’t in her plans as she told the outlet, “This was not supposed to happen.”
She emphasized that getting to where she is now has “taken a long time” and that it couldn’t have happened until she got “more intentional” about her healing.
“That meant a lot of walks with [my dog] Luna, a lot of therapy sessions, a lot of learning that I deserve to feel good,” the Touched by an Angel alum told People.
Valerie stated, “The cookbook was an offshoot of the emotional and mental healing I‘ve been doing, adding that work came first.
“Why I thought I didn’t deserve to be loved. Why I was using food to numb my feelings. All the drama and trauma I hadn’t dealt with — with Ed and my last marriage,” she said.
”I know we’re talking about a cookbook, but this cookbook got me through all of it.”
Valerie asserted, “I found joy first.”
“And then a man entered my life,” she added.
CAN’T STOP!
On Monday, Valerie again gushed over her new boyfriend while promoting Indulge on Good Morning America.
While being interviewed by Robin Roberts, Valerie prepared chicken breasts with tomato prosecco sauce and four-cheese baked ziti for GMA hosts Michael Strahan, Ginger Zee, and Will Reeve.
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After the food had been served and eaten, Robin asked Valerie, “How are you doing?”
Valerie smiled up at Robin as she replied, “I am doing amazing!”
“You are!” Robin agreed before adding, “I’ll have what you’re having. You are beaming this morning.”
The One Day at a Time actress covered her mouth with the backside of her hand and play whispered, “It’s called a boyfriend.”
The hosts all went wild with Robin quickly commending, “Nicely done,” and Ginger adding, “You taste the love.”
Robin then told Valerie, “Thank you for sharing,” as the writer blushed and yelled, “I can’t stop myself!”
GHOSTED HOST
Valerie seemed to be in a much better place mentally than earlier this year when she claimed Food Network fired her over text.
She opened up about the circumstances of her firing while responding to claims that talks for her to continue hosting The Kids Baking Championship had “stalled,” People reported.
“This is a tad misleading,” Valerie explained in a tweet reply to the People story. “There were never any talks, so no talks could be stalled.”
She continued, “I got an inkling I might not be asked back when I saw I was not in the holiday specials.
“I got a text by a third party on Friday that told me I would not be back.”
Valerie added, “LOL I was basically ghosted.”
A source claimed that when Valerie’s contract ended, returning to Kids Baking Championship was “absolutely discussed,” as reported by People.
However, Valerie’s team “decided they wanted more and talks stalled.”
Another insider told the publication a very different story, one that closely resembled Valerie’s interpretation of events.
They revealed, “Her deal was up, and [Food Network] chose not to renew.
“They did not make a new offer, but Valerie very much wanted to continue.”
Valerie followed her response with a tweet that read, “I have zero ill will toward anyone at FN, I enjoyed every single moment I worked for them, and they are all lovely, kind, hard-working people.
“And I understand business is business. But I won’t tolerate lies. I am a lot of things, but I am not greedy, nor am I a liar.”
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