Because they are in a long-distance relationship, Bertinelli’s boyfriend Mike Goodnough said “it makes the time together that much more valuable”

Valerie Bertinelli’s boyfriend, Mike Goodnough, is sharing the highs and lows of long distance relationships.

Goodnough, who goes by Hoarse Whisperer on social media, gave a little update on the pair’s bicoastal relationship while Bertinelli is still enjoying a break from social media. (Earlier in May, she announced that she would be less active in order to protect her mental health, but promised, “I’m good. Honest.”)

In his own post on May 30, Goodnough wrote: “The problem with long-distance relationships is, well, you know… the distance. Hard to be far when you just want to be close.”

He continued, “On the bright side, it makes the time together that much more valuable.”

The East Coast writer posted a photo of the former Food Network star, who lives in Los Angeles, grinning ear-to-ear while standing next to the Hudson River. The New York City skyline is peaking out in the background and in the caption, he also explained that this was his “view of the city from my side.” 

The West and East Coast partners first connected online. They had messaged on Instagram a few years before they began dating and following their initial messages, “every few months he would DM me,” Bertinelli said. It wasn’t until January 2024 when things began to heat up after they spoke on the phone for the first time.

“It was strictly platonic but there was something about him that I connected with that felt familiar,” the cookbook author said in April. “A comfort level. He felt like a kindred spirit.”

Two months after they first began having long phone conversations, the two met up in New York City in March for a romantic date. It was during this time that Bertinelli felt “at home” with Goodnough, she recalled. “This is where I belong, in this man’s arms,” she said.

Since then, the couple has established a “three-week rule” to ensure they continue to see each other often.

“We never go longer than that without seeing each other,” the actress explained. “After all, it’s about finding the joy in life and sharing it.”

Goodnough joined Bertinelli during her press tour for her cookbook, Indulge. The tour contributed to Bertinelli’s need to be offline for a bit.

“The last six or so weeks have been…a LOT,” Bertinelli wrote alongside a selfie of herself with her head resting on her hand. “And while I am incredibly grateful for all your support for my book and everyone I’ve had the good fortune to meet, this here introvert in extrovert’s clothing is in need of a mental health break.”

“Taking a little social media cleanse/detox and a mental health break is a good thing, and I’m grateful I’m at a place in my life where I’m aware enough to know when I’m overwhelmed and mentally/emotionally exhausted,” she added.

She then told fans to “take care of yourselves” and promised that she would “be back before you know it.”