Valerie Bertinelli sparked debate after sharing an unfiltered Instagram selfie in black underwear, embracing her body at 64. The actress and Food Network alum reflected on a challenging year, captioning the post with gratitude for self-acceptance.
While some fans praised her confidence, others criticized the post as unnecessary. Comments ranged from support for her boldness to disapproval, with critics labeling it attention-seeking or inappropriate.
Bertinelli’s candid photo reignites conversations about body positivity, aging, and societal expectations, showcasing both the challenges and triumphs of embracing oneself.
Valerie Bertinelli doesn’t care what the haters think after she posted a picture of herself wearing only underwear on Instagram along with a caption about body positivity.
She also thanked those were in support of her previous message of self-love.
“First of all, to those of you who felt a connection to my prior post and identified with what I was talking about, (empowering ourselves to focus on our own self-acceptance and self-love), thank you and thank you for your kindness. I see you. We are in this together,” she wrote.
The prior day, Bertinelli had reflected on Instagram on how her body has changed alongside a selfie of her wearing only underwear.
“At some point I will talk about the madness my body has been through this year,” she captioned the photo.
“But right now every lump bump wrinkle and saggy part of me just feels acceptance and simple appreciation to be standing in front of a mirror in a hotel bathroom in downtown Manhattan ready to color my roots late on a Monday night,” she continued.
She also thanked those were in support of her previous message of self-love.
“First of all, to those of you who felt a connection to my prior post and identified with what I was talking about, (empowering ourselves to focus on our own self-acceptance and self-love), thank you and thank you for your kindness. I see you. We are in this together,” she wrote.
The prior day, Bertinelli had reflected on Instagram on how her body has changed alongside a selfie of her wearing only underwear.
“At some point I will talk about the madness my body has been through this year,” she captioned the photo.
“But right now every lump bump wrinkle and saggy part of me just feels acceptance and simple appreciation to be standing in front of a mirror in a hotel bathroom in downtown Manhattan ready to color my roots late on a Monday night,” she continued.
“Health is not a body size. Health is not the number you see on the scale. Your worth as a human being isn’t dictated by your body. I thought I was fat the last time I wore these clothes,” she said in a now-deleted Instagram video.
“I’ve never felt more beautiful, more at peace, more mentally and emotionally stable than I do today, and I’m wearing my ‘fat clothes,’” she added. “That’s f—ed up.”
The former Food Network host has also been candid about her mental health. Last month, she shared an Instagram video of her hand shaking after an anxiety attack.
“I’ve sat on this post for a day because it’s incredibly vulnerable and that’s always scary to share. But I’m posting because we’re all out here doing our best having a human experience and none of us want to feel like we’re alone in that,” she began her lengthy caption to the video.
“So I don’t know if you can tell from this video (and my heart is still beating a little rapidly as I write this) I had a really bad anxiety attack today,” she continued. “I haven’t had one like this in a very, very long time. A few hours ago, I was weeping uncontrollably, and my heart felt like it was pounding out of my chest. I couldn’t stop shaking.”
The former “Hot in Cleveland” star also recently opened up about how she has been caring for herself in the two years following her divorce. Bertinelli and her ex-husband, financial planner Tom Vitale, finalized their divorce in 2022.
In an Instagram post, she celebrated “two years of freedom” and shared her desire to be the “best, most authentic version” of herself as she entered what she called “this last chapter of my life.”
“I am learning that until I love myself and accept myself, all of me, my dark and light sides, I can never give someone else the love and emotional vulnerability that they need and deserve,” she wrote. “You must give it to yourself first so that you can share it.”