Valerie Bertinelli is embracing honesty and vulnerability as she prepares to release her new memoir, Getting Naked, offering readers an intimate look at her decades-long journey toward self-acceptance.
The 65-year-old actress and celebrity chef speaks candidly about body image, personal struggles and life lessons in the book, which will be released on March 10 by Harper Wave. Bertinelli said the memoir reflects her effort to shed both emotional and physical layers, even posing nude for the book’s cover to symbolize the theme of openness.
“I thought I might as well expose myself there too,” Bertinelli said, describing the decision as part of her broader effort to be fully transparent about her life and experiences.
Over the years, Bertinelli has worked to let go of the body shame she says began when she was young. She recalls hearing constant criticism about her appearance, including expectations about maintaining a specific weight. Looking back, she says those pressures were unrealistic and unhealthy.
“Being told all those things — that your body isn’t perfect enough or that you’re not 110 pounds,” she said. “Who could stay at 110 pounds? Maybe at 15, but that’s not realistic for me anymore, and it doesn’t need to be.”
Today, Bertinelli says she focuses less on numbers on a scale and more on what her body can do. While she occasionally checks her weight, she no longer allows it to dominate her mindset.
“After Christmas I wondered how much I had gained because my jeans felt tight,” she said. “But I’m not going to drive myself crazy about it.”
Instead, she has found appreciation for the everyday capabilities of her body. Despite occasional aches, she says she can still keep up with activities she enjoys, from carrying her 35-pound dog Luna to standing for hours while watching her son perform on stage.
“I’m in my sixties,” she said with a laugh. “Of course I’d like my body to be a little more toned, but my body still does what I need it to do.”
In the memoir, Bertinelli also reveals that she had breast implants in the late 1980s but had them removed in 2024 after years of feeling dissatisfied with them.
“I liked it for a little while and then started to hate it,” she explained. Over time, weight fluctuations changed how she felt about the implants, and she eventually decided she wanted to return to a more natural look.
The removal procedure, however, led to complications. After a fall, Bertinelli developed a serious infection that required additional surgery to remove both the implants and surrounding tissue.
“The look on my doctor’s face when he finally saw me made me realize I should have come in earlier,” she said, adding that the infection caused significant damage that will require another procedure to correct.
Despite the difficult experience, Bertinelli said she coped by finding humor in the situation. “It was so serious that I just had to find the humor in it,” she said.
These days, Bertinelli says she is focused on what brings her happiness. She frequently travels to watch her son, musician Wolfgang Van Halen, perform on tour, where his bandmates affectionately refer to her as “Mama Wolf.”
She also continues her role on The Drew Barrymore Show as part of the program’s “Drew Crew” lifestyle experts and recently launched a new digital cooking platform called Valerie’s Place, marking a return to her passion for home cooking.
At home, she enjoys quieter moments as well, including watching long bird videos online — something she jokingly calls “Bird TV” — alongside her cats.
Reflecting on this stage of life, Bertinelli says she feels more comfortable than ever embracing imperfection.
“I’m finally at a place where my clothes fit — not too big, not too small,” she said. “I’m just normal. Even if I have a little pooch, who cares?”
Getting Naked will be released March 10 and is currently available for preorder through major booksellers.
