Mike Goodnough, the ex-boyfriend of actress Valerie Bertinelli, shared his thoughts on their recent breakup in an Instagram post on Friday, April 18. The blog post addressed the storm that ensued after last week’s viral tweet. Goodnough wishes now that update, which he says “definitely made it worse instead of better.” Their romantic involvement would last only ten months, as they parted ways in November 2024. Weiss told Goodnough that he was truly, truly saddened by how their breakup played out in the public sphere.
In his post, Goodnough acknowledged that he was the catalyst for some of the conflict that arose between him and Bertinelli. He explained, “About two weeks ago, I found myself literally in the crossfire between Valerie and myself. It bubbled up into the press. What triggered it was a post of mine here. I regret having posted it. I wish I hadn’t.” He writes extensively about how emotionally taxing the breakup was for himself. For Anne, he remembered it as “the most emotionally wrenching experience of my life.”
Goodnough painted their relationship as complex, saying that it was a joyful one but not always easy. He remarked, “Valerie and I had a complicated relationship,” and went on to mention that it was “one of the most joyful” periods of his life. He shared his sadness about the dissolution of their relationship. “Our relationship as partners ended. My caring about her did not,” he added.
The young couple had hardly talked at all in the last few months. This week, Goodnough got in touch with Bertinelli, hoping to make the split a little friendlier. Unfortunately, he did not receive a response. I called in that hope again this week. No answer is an answer though. I accept it,” he stated.
So even as Goodnough hinted at Bertinelli’s own personal demons, clearly her battles were taking a toll on their marriage. “Valerie is in a war with her ghosts. I’m just the guy who catches the bullets. And that isn’t new,” he wrote, emphasizing the complexity of their emotional landscape.
In his post, Goodnough seemed to indicate that he would like to leave the drama behind. “I’ve cried about this enough. It’s time to move on,” he said, indicating that he is ready to close this chapter in his life. He confirmed this chapter is now closed for me, indicating a change in his attitude after the division.
Reflecting on the heft of the emotional toll from the end of their romantic partnership, he spoke of how deeply it hit him. The way it’s been so deeply piercing, it’s transformed the very scope of how much heartbreak can actually sting. What used to be a 10 has now dropped to a four,” he said.
Goodnough recognized the importance of their time together. Earlier in March, David gave a similar statement, praising Bertinelli while acknowledging the hurt of their conclusion. He concluded his heartfelt message with a sense of resignation regarding their situation: “Over the last few months, I had hoped we’d find a way to a gentle parting rather than a closed door but couldn’t seem to get us to one.”