Valerie Bertinelli's First New Year's Day After Divorce Is The Happiest In The Last Six Years: 'I'm Free'

Valerie Bertinelli is reveling in her new life as a single woman! The talented chef continues to set social media abuzz with every update she gives her followers concerning her freedom from her previous marriage.

Bertinelli, in another life update, took to her Instagram to celebrate the New Year and also indirectly took a swipe at her former marriage to Tom Vitale.

It would be recalled that the 62-year-old filed for legal separation from Vitale in May 2022 after 11 years of living together as a couple. Bertinelli mentioned in the filing that the reason for the divorce was because of irreconcilable differences.

The Food Network chef appeared to have had a blast celebrating entering into the New Year. Although she was not in the company of her friends or family, the mom of one seemed content to have been by herself.

Showcasing her joy on Instagram, Bertinelli posted a short but thrilling clip of herself by a lake house. The star had the video taken at a 360 angle, showing bits and pieces of her back surrounding.

She had the lens focused on her face and was seen wearing a comfy knitted gray & black sweater. The "Apple's Way" actress had her brunette hair done in a middle part, with loose tresses falling down her face to her shoulders.

Although she wore no make-up, she looked as elegant and beautiful as ever, as her contagious smile filled the whole video. 

Opening up about her post in the caption, she wrote, "This new year day is coming in so much happier than last year's. From a young age, New Year's Day has been one of my absolute favorite days, for the last 5-6 years it's been one of the saddest."

She, however, added,  "No more. There is so much to look forward to now, when before it just looked endlessly sad, scary, lonely, and stressful. I have no idea what's ahead for me and I'm not worried. I'm free. This new years day, 2023, is the first day of the rest of my life"!

Bertinelli sweetly ended her post, writing, "I wish all of you every bit of joy and happiness and kindness that you claim. It's all yours. Grab it! ✨ Happy New Year ✨ Love you 🤍." 

Her post was warmly received and amassed thousands of likes and lovely comments from her ever-supportive fans.

A fan shared her own inspiring story, writing, "Thank you for this. The last 5 years have been horrendous for me. I'm finally free from my emotionally abusive husband and their whole family. Happy New Years, and Salute to 2023"!

Another praised her, writing, "LOVE THIS! @wolfiesmom One of my favorite posts you have ever done!! So happy for you…❤️🎉❤️🎉❤️"

The "Hot In Cleveland" star no doubt patiently waited for the day the court would finally finalize her divorce from Vitale, as evidenced by the electric reaction to the good news.

Per The Blast, after the experienced chef and Vitale were confirmed to be officially divorced, Bertinelli posted a joyful clip on Twitter announcing her status.

The "Boston Legal" star looked stoked in the video as she told the world about the great news. Appearing to have been at an airport and presumably on her way to see her son, Wolfgang, she said in the clip, "My lawyer just called. The papers are all signed. They're about to be filed."

She further added, "On 11/22/22, I am officially f*cing divorced. Happily divorced. Finally. It's finally over." she ended the clip with a "Yes"! And captioned the video "happily divorced." Per reports, the cookbook author will pay Vitale $2.2 million "in full, final, and complete settlement and satisfaction of any and all claims between them."

There will be no spousal support as agreed upon by their prenuptial agreement.

Bertinelli, notwithstanding her travails, is standing strong, and it is all thanks to her supportive family, who have been by her side all through the grueling divorce process.  As reported earlier, the "Sydney" actress took to Instagram to pour out her heart as she penned a moving message to her fans to mark the festive season.

She also used the opportunity to publicly acknowledge and thank her loved ones for being a pillar of support and a shoulder she could lean on when things got tough for her during the year 2022. 

She wrote in the caption, "Merry Christmas everyone! As we end another year, I cannot help but feel grateful for the love and support of my family and loved ones. There's nothing quite like spending time with the people who matter most."