EDDIE VAN HALEN Was ‘In A Lot Of Emotional Pain’, Says His Ex-Wife VALERIE BERTINELLI

Eddie Van Halen

In a recent interview with the “A Spoonful Of Paolo” online talk show, Eddie Van Halen‘s ex-wife Valerie Bertinelli discussed her new book, Enough Already: Learning To Love The Way I Am Today.

Reflecting on the special connection she had with her late ex-husband, Valerie said: “Ed and I had our relationship — ups and downs. We treated each other badly; we treated each other wonderfully. It was a very full 40 years. And we have an amazing son [Wolfgang Van Halen] that we both adored. I still adore him, and I know that Ed still does too. I get to be here for both of us, to support Wolfie.”

Regarding Wolfgang‘s nomination for a Grammy Award for his band MAMMOTH WVH‘s song “Distance,” she said: “When he was nominated, it was just so hard because I really wanted to talk to Ed, because I know how proud… If anybody was prouder of Wolfie than me, then it was gonna be Ed. We were in competition for who could be more proud.”

Bertinelli also talked about how she got goosebumps feeling Eddie‘s presence one morning in a flock of birds outside her home.

“I still don’t think that I’ve seen signs from my mom or my dad, but maybe I have and I didn’t realize it or I wasn’t keeping an eye out for it,” she said. “But I think the signs are always there and we don’t even realize it.

“Yeah, that flock of birds kind of freaked me out. Because when I made the little pact with Ed about we’re gonna see two birds, or was it three? Then I forgot. Was it two? Or was it three? When I said, ‘Screw it. Then send a whole flock of birds.’ And literally a whole flock of birds just went right before my eyes. [I was, like,] ‘Okay, okay. I get it. You’re here.’ And then the dreams that happened. It’s kind of amazing.

“I do feel his presence, and then I don’t,” Valerie added. “So I’m hoping that he’s in a place where he’s being able to go over his magical life that he had and not beat himself up so much, and think of all the good things that he did, and not be in pain any longer — physical or emotional — because he was in a lot of emotional pain.”

Bertinelli and Van Halen separated in 2001 and divorced in December, 2007. In her autobiography, Bertinelli indicated the main reasons for her divorce were her husband’s c*caine addiction and his refusal to quit smoking despite being diagnosed with oral cancer and losing one-third of his tongue in the treatment process.

Eddie died in October 2020 at the age of 65. The legendary VAN HALEN guitarist passed away at St. John’s Hospital in Santa Monica, California.