Valerie Bertinelli’s boyfriend Mike Goodnough shares the ups and downs of long distance relationships.
Goodnough, who goes by the Hoarse Whisperer on social media, gave a little update on their intercoastal relationship while Bertinelli is still enjoying a break from social media. (Earlier in May, she announced that she would be less active to protect her mental health, but promised, “I’m fine. Honestly.”)
In his own May 30 post, Goodnough wrote: “The problem with long distance relationships is, well, you know… distance. It’s hard to be far away when you just want to be close.”
He continued, “On the bright side, it makes our time together that much more valuable.”
Valerie Bertinelli on a date with boyfriend Mike Goodnough.
MIKE GOODNOUGH/INSTAGRAM
The East Coast writer posted a photo of the former Food Network star, who lives in Los Angeles, grinning from ear to ear while standing next to the Hudson River. The New York skyline stands out in the background, and in the caption he also explained that it was his “view of the city from my side.”
West and East coast partners were the first to connect online. For a few years before they started dating, they messaged on Instagram and followed up on their first messages, “every few months he would send me a DM,” Bertinelli said. It wasn’t until January 2024 that things got heated after they spoke on the phone for the first time.
“It was purely platonic, but there was something familiar about him that I connected with,” the cookbook author told PEOPLE in April. “The comfort level. He felt like a kindred spirit.”
Two months after they first started having long phone conversations, the two met in New York in March for a romantic date. At the time, Bertinelli felt “at home” with Goodnough, she recalled. “I belong here, in the hands of this man,” she said.
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Mike Goodnough and Valerie Bertinelli.
Mike Goodnough/Instagram
Since then, the couple have instituted a “three week rule” to ensure they continue to see each other often.
“It never goes longer than we don’t see each other,” the actress explained. “At the end of the day, it’s about finding the joy in life and sharing it.”
Goodnough joined Bertinella during her press tour for her cookbook, Let yourself go. The tour contributed to Bertinelli’s need to be offline for a while.
Valerie Bertinelli is taking a break from social media because she is ‘overwhelmed and mentally/emotionally exhausted’
“The last six or so weeks have been… A LOT,” Bertinelli captioned a selfie of herself with her head resting on her hand. “And while I’m incredibly grateful for all your support of my book and everyone I’ve been lucky enough to meet, this introvert here in extrovert clothing needs a mental health break.”
“Taking a little social media cleanse/detox and mental health break is a good thing and I’m grateful to be at a place in my life where I’m aware enough to know when I’m overwhelmed and mentally/emotionally drained,” she added.
She then told fans to “beware” and promised to “be back before you know it”.
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Source: HIS Education