Although Valerie Bertinelli’s boyfriend is a year older than her, she playfully noted in a recent birthday message that he still hasn’t quite caught up to her!
On Saturday, August 17, the 64-year-old author of Indulge wished her boyfriend, Mike Goodnough, a happy 54th birthday on Instagram. Along with her birthday wishes, she humorously highlighted their mutual love for taking selfies.
To show her affection, Bertinelli, who often shares photos on social media, posted a picture of the two dressed up, with her kissing his cheek against a beautiful sky backdrop. In her caption, she joked about Mike’s aversion to backlighting in photos, something she finds quite lovely, as demonstrated by the photo he took.
She continued with a playful remark, saying, “Sometimes, it’s wise to heed your elders’ advice. Happy birthday, Mike. ♥️ You might be a year older than me, but you’re still younger.”
Bertinelli also shared a snapshot of Mike in an all-black suit on her Instagram Stories, simply captioning it, “Happy birthday, Mike.”
The former Food Network star is marking her boyfriend’s birthday for the first time since they began dating in January. This milestone comes after Bertinelli confirmed in April that she was in love with Goodnough, though she initially kept his identity private.
She revealed that they first connected on Instagram a few years ago. Although their relationship started platonically, there was something about him that resonated with her, and over time, their bond deepened into love.
Their relationship became public in April after they made their first public appearance together, and they later attended the Daytime Emmy Awards in June. Despite living on opposite coasts, they established a “three-week rule” to ensure they never went too long without seeing each other.
In July, Bertinelli admitted that maintaining their relationship over the summer had been challenging due to a busy schedule. However, their commitment to each other remained strong, with Goodnough recently sharing how supportive Bertinelli was when his childhood friend was nearing the end of life in March.
He expressed his gratitude, noting that some people show their care through actions, while others only say they do. Bertinelli’s actions have shown her deep concern, making her a treasured presence in his life.