Actress Valerie Bertinelli is set to walk down the aisle with her longtime boyfriend Tom Vitale. The pair, who have been dating for six years, have finally become engaged and while Valerie (50) is said to be over the moon, some of her friends are not so happy.
Says one friend: “He [Tom] has a dark past. He was busted for beating up his last wife and has a history of violence and seems very controlling.” The friend continues, “Valerie’s head over heels in love and convinced he’s no threat”.
According to reports, Tom was jailed in 2001 for allegedly attacking his wife Sharon, and in 2004 he was given a probation sentence on another alleged assault charge. Friends believe that ‘one Day at a Time’ star Valerie – who had just separated from Eddie van Halen after 20 years of marriage – met Tom during a period of insecurity.
However, after losing 20 kilograms and becoming a spokesperson for Jenny Craig, friends were hoping Valerie’s newfound confidence would give her the strength to leave Tom. “Valerie’s convinced herself that Tom’s the man of her dreams and they’ll live happily ever after,” says the friend.
