Who is Mike Goodnough? All about Valerie Bertinelli’s ex-boyfriend as she speaks out about “complicated relationship”

Actress Valerie Bertinelli and writer Mike Goodnough had publicly announced their romance back in April 2024. Now, nearly six months after their split, the former couple and the aftermath of their romance, is back in the headlines.

Mike Goodnough recently opened up about their relationship in a number of heartfelt social media posts. Goodnough is a lifestyle writer who runs a well-read Substack newsletter called Hoarse Whisperings. Where he shares personal ruminations, thoughts on fatherhood and life. He initially made a name for himself online as The Hoarse Whisperer on X, where he has more than 400,000 followers.

According to a report by People, before launching his career as a writer, Goodnough was in marketing and strategic communications, mostly doing freelance work for advertising agencies and consultancies. After the birth of his son in 2007, Goodnough left agency life to focus on being a parent.

Valerie Bertinelli, 64, and Goodnough’s story starts on Instagram. After building a platonic online relationship, the two exchanged casual information for years before speaking on the phone for the first time in early 2024.

The two went public with their romance in April 2024, just months after they started seeing each other. Mike Goodnough confirmed their romance in a tongue-in-cheek post where he even joked about the surreal experience of dating a two time Emmy and Golden Globe winning actress. He wrote:

"Valerie freaking Bertinelli… dating… me!?! I know. Ludicrous. How would that even f------ happen?"

Mike Goodnough’s complicated breakup with Valerie Bertinelli and post-breakup drama

Despite the seemingly happy beginning, Bertinelli and Goodnough’s romance ended in November 2024 after a few months of dating. Although both were quiet about the breakup at first, the details became public in early April 2025 when Goodnough addressed the rumors on Instagram.

In a post titled You & me. The end, Mike Goodnough wrote about the emotional cost of the relationship’s end. He acknowledged having made an earlier post that led to an unintentional conflict and that he regretted posting personal details on social media.

"I regret having posted it. I wish I hadn’t. The issue addressed was real. My post made it worse rather than better," he wrote.

He described their relationship as “complicated,” adding that while love was never in short supply, other external pressures ultimately played a role in their split.

"The one thing that was never an issue was our love for each other. I loved Valerie more than I’ve ever loved someone in a relationship of choice," he added.

Both Valerie Bertinelli and Mike Goodnough have made several statements in public since their split, sometimes creating speculation that a feud exists between them. Goodnough posted on social media:

"Valerie is in a war with her ghosts. I’m just the guy who catches the bullets. And that isn’t new," he wrote at that time.

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But now looking back at his recent post, it is safe to say that both of them have officially ended their relationship and are trying to move on without causing any problem for each other.

"With that said, this chapter is now closed for me... I’ve cried about this enough. It’s time to move on," he wrote in his recent post.

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