Valerie Bertinelli had an unexpectedly unfiltered moment on live television after accidentally dropping not one, but two explicit words during an appearance on “Today with Jenna & Sheinelle.” The actress appeared on the show on Thursday to promote her upcoming “Love, Again,” but the conversation quickly went off-script thanks to a pair of accidental slip-ups that left both Valerie Bertinelli and the hosts stunned.
The first moment happened while Bertinelli was discussing her emotionally heavy role in “Love, Again,” where she plays a caregiver supporting her husband through Alzheimer’s.
“She’s just trying to hold it together. I just identified with her wholeheartedly,” Bertinelli explained. “Where I’m one of those people where no matter what I’m going through, I will put that happy face on so I don’t bring my sh-t to other, sorry. Bring my stuff to other people.”
The actress immediately realized what she had said and quickly apologized to co-hosts Jenna Bush Hager and Sheinelle Jones. “I’m so terrible. I’m so sorry,” she said.
Bertinelli Dropped Curses Again Minutes Later
But the live TV chaos didn’t stop there. Later in the interview, Bertinelli began discussing dating and independence when she accidentally let another curse word fly. “I am so independent and I can do anything I want, so leave me the f-ck alone,” she declared. “Oops, that’s a second one!”
Bush Hager quickly pointed out as Bertinelli appeared shocked by herself. “Geez Louise! I’ll never be invited back again,” the actress joked afterward. “I’m sorry! God, what is wrong with me?”
She then blamed the mishaps on getting older. “You know what, it’s the 66-year-old disease where you just don’t care what comes out of your mouth,” she explained, before once again apologizing to viewers.
‘Love, Again’ Marks Valerie Bertinelli’s Return To TV Acting
The appearance came as Bertinelli gears up for the premiere of “Love, Again,” which debuts May 9. The film explores themes of grief, resilience, caregiving, and rediscovering love later in life. Ahead of the movie’s release, Bertinelli also shared a heartfelt Instagram post revealing how deeply the project affected her while filming.
“This is the first time I have not regretted an all-nighter and instead welcomed it and everything that went into it,” she wrote. “The gorgeous sunrise and the bird song was the gift at the end of a challenging, yet productive, 14 hour day.” She also praised writer Nancy Silvers for creating what she called a “raw, beautiful and heartbreaking” script.
It marks Bertinelli’s first major scripted television role in more than a decade following the end of “Hot in Cleveland,” where she starred alongside Betty White, Jane Leeves, and Wendie Malick from 2010 through 2015.
Valerie Bertinelli Says She Hasn’t Experienced ‘Intimate Love’ In Over A Decade
During the interview, Bertinelli also opened up about her personal life and admitted that while she’s surrounded by love, she still misses having a true romantic partner. After co-host Jenna Bush Hager asked whether her new movie inspired her to think about love again following her split from Tom Vitale in 2022 and the loss of ex-husband Eddie Van Halen in 2020, Bertinelli reflected candidly on where she currently stands emotionally.
“I have such exquisite love in my life. I have my animals. I have my girlfriends. I have my son and his beautiful wife. I have my brothers. I have my family. I have beautiful love in my life,” she shared. “But there’s something about intimate love, and I write about it in my book,” she continued, referencing her memoir “Getting Naked: The Quiet Work of Becoming Perfectly Imperfect.” “There’s something about an intimate love with a partner, and I haven’t had a partner in over a decade at least.”
The actress explained that although she values her independence, there’s still part of her that misses having a true companion. “I do miss that,” she admitted. “But then there’s another part of this, like, I am so independent and I can do everything on my own.”
Valerie Bertinelli Reflects On Love, Divorce, And What She Still Wants In A Partner
Bertinelli has also been increasingly honest about her complicated relationship history and what she’s still searching for emotionally. The actress was married to legendary guitarist Eddie Van Halen from 1981 until 2007, and the former couple shares a son, Wolfgang Van Halen. She later married Tom Vitale in 2011 before the pair split in 2022. Following that divorce, Bertinelli confirmed she was dating writer Mike Goodnough in April 2024, though the relationship reportedly ended later that same year.
During a recent conversation with PEOPLE, Bertinelli admitted the end of both marriages left her struggling with feelings of failure. “Two divorces behind me, I felt like a failure,” she shared. “I didn’t know what love actually meant, really, real true (love).”
While reflecting on her marriage to Van Halen, Bertinelli revealed he came the closest to giving her that feeling. “Ed and I had it for glimpses, but I really never really experienced it for any length of time. And I still haven’t,” she admitted. “You know, Ed was the closest I’ve ever come to feeling true true love.”
The actress also explained that emotional safety has become one of the most important qualities she looks for in a relationship. “I want someone to feel emotionally safe with me, like they can open up and be vulnerable with me because I’ll protect that and I want to feel protected,” she said. “And I haven’t experienced that either where my vulnerability has been respected and held on to.”
Still, despite the heartbreak she’s experienced over the years, Bertinelli confirmed she remains open to finding love again, though she’s also reached a point where she’s comfortable on her own if it never happens.
