Valerie Bertinelli Claps Back At Body-Shaming Trolls: ‘My Judgment Is the Only One That Counts

Valerie Bertinelli has been vocal about her journey to self-acceptance, addressing body shaming and past struggles with her weight.

In new Instagram posts, the 64-year-old star emphasized the importance of self-love, reflecting on her growth and embracing her body as it is.

Valerie Bertinelli has stopped denying herself food and shifted her mindset, prioritizing nutrition and happiness over judgment.

In her recent Instagram post, Bertinelli didn’t hold back when addressing trolls criticizing her body after sharing a mirror selfie in a two-piece bikini.

Responding to the negative comments, the 64-year-old actress used the moment to reflect on her journey to self-acceptance.

“To all of you that would sit in judgment of my body, the photo, and my reason for posting it, I hope you find a place in your heart to not judge yourself as harshly as you judge others,” she wrote alongside two new selfies in a black top, ripped jeans, and stylish glasses.

Bertinelli revealed that she has faced judgment since she was young, saying, “I have dealt with judgment my entire life, starting from when I was a young girl. It has taken me a long time to realize that my judgment, with patient discernment, is the only judgment that counts.”

In her post, Bertinelli urged others to focus on what truly matters, highlighting her “character,” kindness, and commitment to growth as the most important aspects of herself—not her physical appearance.

While Bertinelli acknowledged she can’t control how others judge her, the TV personality made it clear she has “no interest” in their opinions.

“It’s taken me almost 3 years of emotional labor to get to this point mentally and for the first eight months of this year I had physical setbacks,” she said.

Bertinelli continued: “For the first time in my life, I love my body as it is. It’s not the 20-year-old body that I hated and it really is a shame that I hated that beautiful body. Yes, it was a very different body than the one I now inhabit, but it hadn’t yet been through the journey I needed to go through.”

She added: “Even as challenging as it’s been and is, I am grateful for this journey, and I wouldn’t trade this body for my 20-year-old body any day. Ever.”

Bertinelli signed off with gratitude for her growth, writing “XO Valerie” and a peace and heart emoji.

Bertinelli has consistently spoken about her journey toward embracing her body. She previously revealed to People Magazine that she’s finally stopped criticizing herself over her appearance.

“I don’t deny myself anything anymore,” the cookbook author said. “I think about what do I want, as opposed to what am I going to eat because I need to be careful about calories. If I want pasta alle vongole, I’m going to make that. And I’m not going to feel one ounce of guilt about it.”

She added that her mindset shift has also changed her cravings. “I also don’t crave things anymore that won’t necessarily feed my body all the nutrition that it needs,” she explained, noting that sharing her story was important to her.

“I wanted to share my story because I have built up this amazing community online [she has 1.5 million Instagram followers] where so many people have watched me be super raw on camera and feel everything,” Bertinelli noted. “I wanted them to know, ‘Hey, I’ve gotten through this part. I swear it’s going to get better.'”

Last year, Bertinelli opened up about her past struggles with equating her weight to her self-worth.

In an Instagram video wearing a pink button-down shirt and blue jeans, the “Valerie’s Home Cooking” star reflected on her journey, sharing that she has “done so much emotional and mental work to recover from years of pretending everything was OK when it wasn’t.”

“Health is not body size. Health is not that number you see on a scale,” Bertinelli noted. “Your worth as a human being isn’t dictated by your body.”

Bertinelli went on to share a powerful realization: “I thought I was fat the last time I wore these clothes. 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.”

Bertinelli concluded with a message for her followers: “Please love yourself, every single part of you. YOU ARE ENOUGH.”

In an Instagram post, Bertinelli celebrated two years of “freedom” after her divorce from Vitale.

Reflecting on her journey, she shared an uplifting message with her followers: “I didn’t know how I was going to get through it, but I knew that somehow I would.”

The “Hot In Cleveland” actress continued: “Today marks two years of freedom. Two years of walking through self-doubt and doing my best to get to the other side. Two years of knowing that I didn’t deserve to tolerate the intolerable.”

She also acknowledged her ongoing journey of healing, adding, “Two years of working through shame and self-loathing (Still working on that part…).

“Two years of working to find my true self,” Bertinelli added, referring to her challenging marriage to Vitale, which officially ended in November 2022.