Valerie Bertinelli’s Son Wolfgang Van Halen Opens Up About His Health Struggles—Fans Send Prayers

Published by Staff Writer on February 22, 2026 February 22, 2026

It’s easy to look at Wolfgang Van Halen and assume life handed him a cheat code.

He’s the son of Eddie Van Halen—one of the most celebrated guitar players in rock history—and Valerie Bertinelli, a household name in TV. From the outside, that kind of legacy can look like protection: fame, comfort, connections, and a straight shot to success.

But Wolfgang has been painfully honest about something that doesn’t care who your parents are: anxiety and depression.

And one terrifying moment in the sky helped him understand just how intense those struggles could get.

The flight that flipped the switch

By 2024, Wolfgang wasn’t new to big stages or high expectations. Still, flying to Mexico for shows connected to Metallica came with a very specific fear: altitude.

Mexico City sits at roughly 7,000+ feet, and Wolfgang worried about how singing at that elevation might hit his body—especially when nerves were already running hot.

Then the flight itself piled on more pressure: he’s said he already dislikes flying, and exhaustion made everything worse. What followed wasn’t “normal jitters.” It was a full-body panic episode that left him shaken by how fast it took over. Accounts describe him feeling sick, overwhelmed, and trapped in a rush of dread—an experience he later recognized as a major turning point.

What’s striking is the after-effect: it wasn’t only the moment itself—it was what it unlocked. That kind of panic can plant a new fear loop: What if it happens again? What if it hits at the worst possible time?

In other words, the scary part didn’t stay on the plane. It tried to follow him into everything else.

The pressure of being “Wolfgang Van Halen”

Wolfgang’s story also has a unique stressor: he didn’t enter the public eye as an unknown artist. He arrived with a last name people already had strong opinions about.

He’s spoken about how long he’s lived under that microscope—since he was about 14—and how it shaped his inner voice into something harsh and relentless.

That’s the part casual readers miss: when the world constantly grades you, it’s easy to start doing the grading for them—before they even speak.

And that weight isn’t only about music. It’s about identity: trying to be your own person while everyone keeps dragging you back into comparisons you never asked for.

When the internet becomes a trigger

Then there’s the online side of fame—the part that can feel impossible to “turn off.”

Back in 2022, Wolfgang described his emotional and mental wellbeing as being at an extremely low point, especially while navigating grief and public cruelty at the same time. He also emphasized how difficult it can be to find the strength to function when those feelings crash in.

He wasn’t saying, “A comment hurt my feelings.” He was describing a heavier spiral—how negativity can pile onto existing pain until it feels like you’re carrying it in your chest every day.

Here’s where the story gets more meaningful than “tragic details.”

Wolfgang hasn’t framed this as a mysterious collapse or a career-ending secret. He’s described it as work—ongoing work—using tools that millions of people rely on: therapy, medication, support systems, and learning how to live with an anxious brain without letting it drive the whole car.

And interestingly, he’s also turned some of that fear into art. Multiple interviews connect that panic-and-pressure headspace to the themes behind his album The End, released through BMG on October 24, 2025.

That doesn’t mean anxiety becomes “useful,” or that suffering is some kind of gift. It means he’s doing what many people try to do when life gets loud: take the chaos, and shape it into something he can hold.