Valerie Bertinelli has been reflecting on her 26-year marriage to Eddie Van Halen.
The guitar icon who propelled his band, Van Halen, into one of hard rock’s biggest groups passed away on Oct. 7 at age 65 from cancer.
A source told the new issue of Us Weekly that the actress, 60, has been privately grieving the loss of her ex-husband.
“Valerie and Eddie had some rough times, but their love for each other never wavered,” said the insider. “She’s truly heartbroken.”
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The former “One Day at a Time” star first met the rocker backstage at a concert in 1980. They married months later in 1981.
“They were so in love,” another source told the outlet. “Valerie hated the groupies that would follow his band, but Eddie mesmerized people and she was no exception.”
According to the outlet, Bertinelli immersed herself into motherhood when the couple welcomed son Wolfgang in 1991. Van Halen kept busy on the road.
The pair separated in 2001 and finalized their divorce in 2007.
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“They were better friends apart,” claimed the second source. “Valerie championed Eddie for kicking drugs and booze for good and stayed close throughout his battle with tongue cancer.”
Van Halen, who was sober since 2008, lost one-third of his tongue to cancer that eventually drifted into his esophagus.
Bertinelli remarried financial planner Tom Vitale in 2011. Van Halen also tied the knot once more to stuntwoman-turned-publicist Janie Liszewski in 2009. Bertinelli and Van Halen attended each other’s weddings.
Still, the former lovers kept a close bond over the years. Bertinelli was among the loved ones by Van Halen’s side when he passed away.
“I’m so grateful Wolfie and I were able to hold you in your last moments,” Bertinelli wrote on Instagram. “I will see you in our next life my love.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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