EDDIE VAN HALEN's Ex-Wife VALERIE BERTINELLI: 'I Didn't Break Up VAN HALEN'

Eddie Van Halen's ex-wife Valerie Bertinelli has dismissed the long-standing belief among some fans that she contributed to the split of the original lineup of VAN HALEN.

Bertinelli, who has spent the last few weeks promoting her new book, "Enough Already: Learning To Love The Way I Am Today", opened up about her life with the legendary guitarist during an appearance on the "Literally! With Rob Lowe" podcast.

Speaking about what life was like after the pair began dating in late 1980 following their initial meeting backstage at a VAN HALEN concert, she said: "After Ed and I became involved, all of a sudden there was this rule that there was no girlfriends and no wives allowed on the road.

"I got along great with Al [drummer Alex Van Halen] and with Mike [bassist Michael Anthony]. It was someone else," she continued, apparently referencing singer David Lee Roth. "I don't know why he didn't like me, but what are you gonna do? I don't know why he didn't like me. I mean, I was always nice to him. I honestly don't know.

Bertinelli told Lowe that she hopes to eventually make peace with Roth, who recently announced his retirement.

"One day I'd like to sit down with him and go, 'Dude, what did I do? Honestly, I've always been a fan of yours. I think you're a brilliant frontman, I think you're a brilliant songwriter, I love your lyrics. Why don't you like me? What did I do?'" she said.

When Lowe asked Bertinelli if Roth believed that she was the "Yoko Ono of VAN HALEN," a reference to the wife of THE BEATLES' John Lennon who is often blamed for the iconic British band's untimely split, Valerie said: "Well, I have been accused of that, even though Yoko didn't break up THE BEATLES, and I certainly didn't break up VAN HALEN."

Bertinelli split with Van Halen in 2002 after 21 years of marriage. They officially divorced in 2007. Eddie then went on to marry Janie Liszewski in 2009, while Valerie also remarried, tying the knot with Tom Vitale in 2011. Valerie told People magazine that both marriages were struggling before Eddie's death. She eventually filed for separation from Vitale in November 2021.

In "Enough Already: Learning To Love The Way I Am Today", Valerie writes about saying goodbye to Eddie when the legendary guitarist died from cancer. She and their son, Wolfgang, 31, were by his side in his final moments.

"I love you are the last words Ed says to Wolfie and me and they are the last words we say to him before he stops breathing," Bertinelli writes.

Eddie died in October 2020 at the age of 65. The legendary VAN HALEN guitarist passed away at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California.

Eddie was diagnosed with mouth cancer in 2000 and had tongue surgery. He later battled lung cancer and had been receiving radiation treatment in Germany. Things took a turn for the worse in early 2019 when Eddie got in a motorcycle accident. He was subsequently diagnosed with a brain tumor, and received gamma knife radiosurgery to treat the illness.