Mike Goodnough/Instagram, Getty Images
Who Is Valerie Bertinelli’s Boyfriend? Mystery Man Reveals His Own Identity as Mike Goodnough
Valerie Bertinelli’s divorce from Tom Vitale in 2022 left her thinking she was done with romance for good, but the One Day at a Time alum couldn’t dodge Cupid’s arrow forever. She went public with her new beau in March 2024, but his identity remained a mystery until the following month when he revealed himself as a man named Mike Goodnough. So, who is Valerie’s new boyfriend?
Who Is Valerie Bertinelli’s Boyfriend Mike Goodnough?
Valerie and her boyfriend whipped up a media frenzy when they were spotted leaving The Drew Barrymore Show in March. Valerie didn’t reveal his name at first and even joked that she and the mystery man were “hiding in plain sight” when she shared a photo of them exiting the studio on Threads. However, fans quickly deduced that he went by the username Hoarse Whisperer on social media, and soon after he revealed his name to be Mike Goodnough.
“The rumor is true,” Mike revealed in an essay via Substack. “Valerie and I are together and have been for a while now. I am Valerie Bertinelli’s boyfriend … and that may well be among the most surreal sentences I’ve ever pecked out. But it’s true … and nothing about our actual relationship seems surreal. It just seems … good … lucky … a gift.”
Other writings from Mike on Substack reveal that he’s making “an absurdly belated run at being a writer,” and he’s a father to one son who he’s gushed about on X in the past.
“I’ve been blessed with a good son. He’s a kid who boxed up his outgrown toys at Christmas so less fortunate kids could have a Christmas too. He’s a kid who donated half his Halloween candy to troops overseas” Mike wrote in 2019.
Mike also gave his followers clues that he and Valerie were involved before he officially confirmed the news. He shared photos of magazines with Valerie on the cover and shots of him reading her latest cookbook, Indulge.
When Did Valerie Bertinelli and Mike Goodnough Start Dating?
Valerie revealed she was in a new relationship in March 2024.
“I’ve met someone. And I’m incredibly grateful for him,” Valerie told USA Today in an interview published on March 13, 2024. “It’s unlike any relationship that I’ve ever experienced with a man. I don’t want to say too much, but I feel incredibly blessed and lucky to have met him, because I wasn’t expecting it!”
Valerie Bertinelli and Mike Goodnough Live on Opposite Coasts
While Valerie and Mike reside on opposite sides of the country, they make sure they have enough time to see one another. Dubbed the “three week rule,” the couple never goes more than three weeks without seeing one another. Plus, a source exclusively revealed to Closer on April 15, 2024, that Valerie “hates being in a long-distance romance” and is considering moving to be closer to Mike.
“She’s not talking marriage, not yet anyway, but she is considering moving closer to him,” the insider said. “She loves California, but a home on the East Coast would make life easier.”
