Actress, cookbook author and Emmy-winning host Valerie Bertinelli is launching a new chapter with Valerie’s Place, a digital platform designed to connect her more directly with fans. The subscription-based community, powered by Visible Things and available now via the App Store, Google Play and ValeriesPlace.com, features fan-favorite content from Valerie’s Home Cooking alongside new original programming, live cook-alongs and exclusive experiences.
The launch comes as Bertinelli releases her new book, Getting Naked (March 10), which explores aging, self-acceptance and healing. As she also prepares for her upcoming Lifetime film Love, Again, premiering May 9, we caught up with the beloved star to talk about her latest projects, wellness routine and why recharging her battery is always key.
Valerie’s Place seems like a deeply personal space. What inspired you to build this kind of community?
"It’s very hard in this day and age to get a show sold, shot and on the air, and I’ve missed doing cooking content. Plus, the algorithm has always frustrated me, as it has everyone else. I would do cooking videos, and half the people I wanted to see them wouldn’t see them in their feed. Now I can do three cooking shows, a book group and a podcast, and anyone who wants to see has one place to go. If you like my content, you have a place to go, Valerie‘s Place! If you don’t like my content, you don’t have to visit."
After decades in traditional television, how does connecting directly with your audience through your own platform change the way you show up? Is there anything that is particularly difficult about the creative process?
"It is so much easier with my own platform. We work with a smaller group. I can work in my own home, with my animals roaming in and out of the kitchen. I have the same culinary producer that I’ve had for a long time, Sophie Clark. And now I have a way to actually engage with my audience. We can do live cooking segments together. We can talk about books together. We can actually have a conversation, not just DMs."
Your memoir dives into aging, menopause, relationships and generational trauma. What did 'getting naked' emotionally teach you about beauty and self-worth?
"Your beauty really is in your heart. It is how you treat yourself. It’s how you treat others. It’s how you light up the world when you’re feeling good about yourself. Our bodies are going to age; there’s no getting around it. Why not enjoy the process and enjoy the ride? Our brains are so much smarter; we have so much life experience to tap into and share. Let’s be grateful and enjoy ourselves!"
You’ve spoken about letting go of the pressure to be perfect. How has that shift changed the way you see yourself?
"I really don’t have a choice! My skin is crepey. It’s sagging more. I've spent far too many years hating my body for no reason whatsoever, except my internal self-loathing. Self-loathing that had nothing to do with my body and everything to do with my emotional health and trauma. I’m just not gonna do that anymore."
This feels like your most vulnerable book yet. Was there a moment in writing it that truly transformed you?
"Talking about my experience with EMDR and digging deep into my sexual trauma. The steps in growing more grounded in who I am and the love I have for that little girl that I would protect now. And that little girl is me. And how dare I not love myself/her again."
In your new film, 'Love, Again,' on Lifetime, your character navigates love in the face of early-onset Alzheimer’s. How did stepping into that role reshape your understanding of long-term partnership and resilience?
"I had a lot of experience with grief to bring to that role. The heart is an incredibly resilient muscle. It feels great pain and great joy, and you can feel them both at the exact same time. That’s the wonder of being human, holding two dialectically different emotions at the same time. It was such a wonderful role to play, and it came at the perfect time for me. I put my whole heart into it. The script was just brilliant by Nancy Silvers."
The story also explores enduring love and unexpected connection. Does that reflect your own personal dating life at the moment?
"No. I don’t have a dating life, and I don’t know when I will again. I’m pretty gun-shy at the moment."
Has menopause shifted your approach to skin care, beauty treatments or even the way you define feeling beautiful?
"I’ve noticed a huge difference in my skin. I slather large amounts of cream all over my neck, just trying to keep it from looking like a turkey. Haha. I try to stay as hydrated as possible. I’ve never been great at a skin-care routine per se, but I suppose it’s never too late to learn."
When women see you launching new projects, starring in films and writing so candidly about your life, what do you hope they understand or take away from it?
"That we’re never done until we say we’re done. I’m a bit of a scrapper. I have many interests and enjoy doing many things. I also love doing nothing. As AC/DC so well put it: ‘Doing nothing means a lot to me.' I like to work hard, and I like to rest hard. Don’t you ever let anyone tell you that when you’re at rest, you’re lazy. We are not lazy. We are recharging our battery."
