Valerie Bertinelli is remembering Eddie Van Halen with a photograph from a much happier time. Six years after the legendary guitarist’s death, the actress shared a faded snapshot of the former couple sitting together in a car during their younger years.
According to Yahoo, the Valerie Bertinelli Van Halen photo captured Eddie smiling behind the wheel while Bertinelli sat beside him in a striped top. Both wore their hair long, giving the candid image the unmistakable feel of an old family album. Bertinelli paired it with a simple reflection: “Photos may fade, like old photos do, but not the memories and never the love.”
Valerie Bertinelli Van Halen Tribute Marks Six Years Since His Death
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Bertinelli shared the photograph on Oct. 6, exactly six years after Eddie died in 2020 at age 65 following a lengthy battle with cancer. The former spouses remained an important part of each other’s lives long after their marriage ended, largely through the family they created together.
The pair married in 1981 after a whirlwind romance and welcomed their son, Wolfgang Van Halen, in 1991. They separated in 2001 and finalized their divorce in 2007, but their connection continued. Bertinelli was also with Eddie during his final days, making her anniversary tribute especially personal.
Their Relationship Began With a Van Halen Concert
Earlier in 2026, Bertinelli recalled meeting Eddie backstage at a Van Halen concert in Shreveport, Louisiana, while visiting family. Already a fan of the guitarist, she said their relationship moved quickly, and they married just eight months later. At the time, Bertinelli starred on One Day at a Time, while Eddie had become a rock star with Van Halen. Though their marriage faced challenges, she has continued to speak warmly about the love and happier memories they shared.
The Valerie Bertinelli and Van Halen story also lives on through Wolfgang, who followed his father into music and built a career of his own. Bertinelli has spoken about missing the moments she and Eddie could have shared as parents while watching their son grow and perform. Her latest tribute does not attempt to rewrite the difficult chapters of their relationship. Instead, the old photograph captures something much simpler: two young people smiling together before decades of life, family, and change unfolded around them. Six years after Eddie’s death, Bertinelli’s brief message makes clear that those memories still hold a lasting place in her life.
