She may have been Eddie Van Halen’s ex-wife, but Valerie Bertinelli was his biggest supporter and one of his closest friends.
So you can imagine how heartbroken she was when Eddie Van Halen, co-founder of the legendary rock band Van Halen, passed away on Tuesday (Oct. 6) at the age of 65 following a ten-year battle with cancer. According to various sources including TMZ, Eddie had been traveling between Germany and the United States over the last five years for radiation treatments to help combat the cancer.
Van Halen shot to fame after the release of their debut self-titled album in 1977. Upon his rise to fame, Eddie fell in love with another rising star, actress Valerie Bertinelli, who was starring on the sitcom One Day at a Time.
They were married in 1981 and over the years, Valerie accompanied the band on the road, admiring her husband from side stage.
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They had a son, named Wolfgang, in 1991. Although they divorced in 2007, Valerie and Eddie remained the closest of friends. Wolfgang followed in his father’s musical footsteps and joined Van Halen as its bassist in 2006. Up until recently, Valerie still attended many of Van Halen’s shows, standing in the same spot side stage, but this time she was not only cheering on Eddie, but their son as well.
Valerie didn’t react on social media right away, instead retweeting Wolfgang’s initial tweet about his father’s passing.
— Wolf Van Halen (@WolfVanHalen) October 6, 2020
Valerie then shared her own tribute to her ex-husband on social media with a black and white photo of the family of three from the early 90s, revealing she was there during his final moments.
“40 years ago my life changed forever when I met you. You gave me the one true light in my life, our son, Wolfgang,” she wrote on Instagram. “Through all your challenging treatments for lung cancer, you kept your gorgeous spirit and that impish grin. I’m so grateful Wolfie and I were able to hold you in your last moments. I will see you in our next life my love.“
Our thoughts and prayers are with Wolfgang, Valerie, and anyone who loved Eddie. See Valerie’s tribute below.