During the Daytime Emmy Awards, Valerie Bertinelli opened up to PEOPLE about her long-distance relationship with Mike Goodnough. The 64-year-old actress, known for her role in One Day at a Time, discussed the challenges and rewards of maintaining a bicoastal romance. As they plan their summer together, Bertinelli reflected on how being apart has its upsides and downsides.
While making plans for the summer, Bertinelli acknowledged that their relationship requires frequent travel due to the distance between them—Goodnough lives on the East Coast while she resides in Los Angeles. She noted that one of the perks of being apart is that every reunion feels special, reigniting those initial feelings of excitement and affection each time they meet after a week or two.
However, she also admitted that it’s tough not being able to see each other as often as they’d like. “You just want to be together all the time,” she confessed. Goodnough made his first red carpet appearance alongside Bertinelli at this event and expressed how proud he was to support her during such an important night. He shared how rewarding it is to witness someone you love receive recognition for their hard work.
Bertinelli was nominated for two awards over the weekend for her now-canceled Food Network show Valerie’s Home Cooking. She spoke candidly about what keeps her grounded and authentic with her audience: “I feel like I’m more comfortable in my own skin now than ever before,” she said gratefully acknowledging how warmly people have embraced this version of herself.
Goodnough, who goes by Hoarse Whisperer on social media, has also been open about navigating their long-distance relationship. In an Instagram post from April 30th, he humorously pointed out that “the problem with long-distance relationships is… well…the distance,” but added optimistically that it makes their time together even more precious.
The couple initially connected online through Instagram years ago but didn’t have their first phone conversation until January 2024. According to Bertinelli, there was something familiar about him from early on which drew them closer together quickly.
Their first face-to-face meeting took place in New York City this past March where Valerie felt an immediate sense of comfort around Mike—describing it as feeling “at home.” To keep things manageable despite living so far apart geographically—they’ve established a rule never go longer than three weeks without seeing each other because ultimately life’s joys are meant to be shared.