Valerie Bertinelli recently shared a humorous yet frustrating memory from the early 1980s during an appearance on the “Where Everybody Knows Your Name” podcast. The actress and ex-wife of guitar legend Eddie Van Halen recounted an incident where hotel security mistook her and Alex Van Halen’s wife for prostitutes. They refused the women elevator access to their room.
“I don’t remember a lot about the ’80s, but I do remember this story,” Bertinelli explained. “Ed and Al, his brother, had gone downstairs. Al’s wife at the time had said, ‘Let’s go down and join them.’ So, we go down to join them, and then we’re at the bar, whatever. And then the boys go back upstairs, and we said, ‘Okay, we’ll join you later.'”
The situation escalated when Bertinelli attempted to return to her room. “I go to the elevator to go up to the room and they’re like, ‘No, no, why? What’s happening? Why can’t we go up?’ ‘No, no, no, no.’ And they were trying to tell us that prostitutes aren’t allowed on the upper floors,” she recalled. Despite showing her wedding ring—a fake one she wore while traveling—security refused to let her pass. “I had to leave the elevator and get on the phone because there were no cell phones in the early ’80s. I called Ed in the room and said, ‘Can you come down and get me? Because they won’t let me up. They think Valerie and I are prostitutes.’ So, yeah, I’ve been mistaken for a prostitute before.”
Bertinelli’s recollection of the early 1980s reflects a broader pattern of hazy memories from that era of her life. Guitar Player reported that Bertinelli has openly acknowledged substance use clouded much of her recollection from that period. She stated, “I don’t remember too much between the drugs and the alcohol.” This candid admission provides context for why specific incidents from those years remain fragmented in her memory.
The rock-and-roll lifestyle of the 1980s was characterized by excess and constant touring. This contributed to the chaotic nature of those years. Bertinelli’s willingness to discuss these experiences decades later demonstrates her reflective approach to her past. She acknowledges both the fun and the regrets of that tumultuous period.
Bertinelli and Eddie Van Halen’s relationship began in a whirlwind fashion that set the tone for their entire marriage. YouTube documentaries covering their love story indicate that their romance unfolded rapidly in the early 1980s. The couple married within a year of meeting. The actress was just 20 years old when she met the 25-year-old guitar virtuoso backstage at a Van Halen concert. She described the encounter as “love at first sight.”
Their early years together were marked by the intensity and spontaneity typical of rock-star relationships. The couple “grew up together” during their marriage. They navigated the pressures of fame, touring, and the music industry’s demanding lifestyle. This rapid maturation in such an unconventional environment created both cherished memories and challenging experiences. These experiences would shape their 26-year marriage until their divorce in 2007.
