Valerie Bertinelli isn't one to shy away from speaking her truth, and she recently got vulnerable talking about the one thing that matters the most: her son, Wolfgang "Wolfie" Van Halen.
On May 1, Paramount+ released an episode of MTV's Behind the Music documenting Wolfie's life and his journey to becoming a musician, including his relationship with his father (and Valerie's ex-husband), the late Eddie Van Halen. Two days after the episode aired, fans saw Valerie upload an Instagram video expressing her raw feelings about watching her son's life be displayed for the world to see. As folks watched her process the hour-long episode, she vulnerably acknowledged she felt like there were challenges in raising Wolfie in the public eye.
"I was finally able to watch Wolfie's Behind the Music," she began the clip. "It was not easy. I had stopped it many times because it was just too brutal to watch, for many reasons. One, seeing Wolfie's pain. Two, seeing what a better job I could've done as a parent, even though he turned out magnificently. I made a lot of mistakes."
As Valerie gave minimal details about how the rise and fall of her relationship with Eddie affected Wolfie's upbringing, she also used the moment to note one important thing in her life. While she admitted she felt her love story with Eddie affected her more than she hoped, she emphasized Wolfie was the best part of her marriage to the Van Halen rocker.
"After Ed died [in 2020], I was more than willing to put myself in the grieving widow category, for a man that I hadn't lived with for 20 years," she added. "What we had together was this beautiful son that we both unconditionally loved. That's what I got out of that marriage, is Woflie — the best thing that ever happened to me."
As Valerie's followers saw her get emotional about raising Wolfie, many related to her comments about motherhood. As a result, they rushed to her side to show their support.
"You were a wonderful mom and Ed was a great dad. Wolf loved you both. He always will. ♥️," one person wrote in the comments. "Our love for our children is why we are all here. You are amazing. And you are also an amazing mom ❤," another agreed. "Thank you for your courage and honesty. You’re an example to so many. Be good to yourself, Valerie, you deserve it! ❤️," a different follower added.
Despite Valerie getting candid about the hardships of motherhood, no one can deny how proud she is of Wolfie. She stood alongside him and his wife Andraia Allsop as he was part of the team nominated for Best Original Song at the 2024 Oscars, and when she appeared on Good Morning America in early April, she shared Eddie would've been "so proud" of everything their son has accomplished.
Catch up With Valerie Bertinelli
Valerie Bertinelli: Ed Would be "So Proud" of Son
Valerie Bertinelli's Surprise Relationship Update
Valerie Bertinelli Posts Vulnerable Book Update
![bobbi brown at the build series presents bobbi brown discussing bobbi brown beauty from the inside out makeup wellness confidence](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/makeup-artist-bobbi-brown-attends-build-series-to-discuss-news-photo-1691595782.jpg?crop=0.668xw:1.00xh;0.185xw,0&resize=360:* "Bobbi Brown at the Build Series Presents Bobbi Brown Discussing "Bobbi Brown Beauty From The Inside Out: Makeup * Wellness * Confidence"")
