Valerie Bertinelli reveals feeling “shame” about being sexually abused as a child
Actor and TV host Valerie Bertinelli has revealed that she was sexually abused when she was 11 years old.
The former One Day at a Time star made the revelation in a new interview with People, ahead of the release of her new book, Getting Naked.
Bertinelli said she “purposely” included a photograph of herself at 11 years old in the book “because that was the little girl that was sexually abused,” despite admitting she initially “had no plans to reveal” what happened during her childhood.
“It boggles my mind that this little girl was taken advantage of that way,” the actor continued. “It boggles my mind because it’s still happening… and I’m furious about it. And we need to start speaking up and saying, ‘Enough.’”
Bertinelli admitted “it’s taken me 10 years at least” to confront the trauma of her past, adding that she has been helped through a combination of therapy, her work, and the support of her son Wolfgang Van Halen, who played in Van Halen until the death of his father, Eddie Van Halen, in 2020.
The actor began her career at the age of just 14 years old, before achieving her breakthrough in the sitcom One Day at a Time only a year later in 1975, which she starred in until 1984 and saw her win two Golden Globes for ‘Best Supporting Actress’.
When asked to reflect on her life at the time she was sexually abused, Bertinelli said: “I loved to colour, read, play with my Barbies and ride my bike around the block. I loved my cats. I was just a little girl.”
As such, by working through the “shame” and the “trauma” she felt around “my poor body”, Bertinelli ultimately proclaimed: “I’m a survivor”.
Bertinelli’s new book, Getting Naked, is set to be released on March 10th.
For help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.
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