Mike Goodnough, Valerie Bertinelli’s boyfriend, talks about the good and bad parts of being in a long-distance relationship.
Goodnough, whose social media name is Hoarse Whisperer, gave a little report on their friendship between two coasts while Bertinelli is still taking a break from social media. In early May, she said she would be less busy to take care of her mental health, but she also said, “I’m good.” Sincere.”)
“The problem with long-distance relationships is, well, you know… the distance,” Goodnough wrote in his own post on May 30. It’s tough to be far away when you want to be close.
“On the plus side, it makes the time we spend together even more valuable,” he said.
The East Coast writer shared a picture of the former Food Network star, who now lives in Los Angeles, with a huge smile on his face as he stood next to the Hudson River. In the background, you can just make out the skyline of New York City. He wrote in the text that this was his “view of the city from my side.”
The partners from the East Coast and West Coast first met online. A few years before they started dating, they sent each other messages on Instagram. After the first message, “every few months he would DM me,” Bertinelli said. When they talked on the phone for the first time in January 2024, things didn’t start to get hot.
The food author told PEOPLE in April, “It was just a friendship, but there was something about him that felt familiar.” “A level of comfort.” He thought of her as a similar spirit.
The first long phone calls between them happened two months ago. In March, they went on a sweet date in New York City. It was at this time that Bertinelli said she felt “at home” with Goodnough. She said, “This is where I belong, in this man’s arms.”
They’ve set up a “three-week rule” to make sure they keep seeing each other often since then.
“That’s how long we never go without seeing each other,” the star said. “In the end, it’s about sharing the happiness you find in life.”
Bertinelli was on a book tour for her cookbook, Indulge, and Goodnough went with her. Bertinelli had to take a break from the internet for a while because of the tour.
Bertinelli wrote next to a picture of herself with her head on her hand, “The last six weeks or so have been…a LOT.” “I’m so thankful for all the support for my book and the chance to meet so many wonderful people, but this introvert dressed as an extrovert needs a mental health break right now.”
“A mental health break and a social media cleanse/detox are both good for you, and I’m glad I’m at a point in my life where I know when I’m mentally and emotionally charged up,” she said.
After that, she told her fans to “take care” and said she’d be back “before you know it.”
