Valerie Bertinelli Stepped Out in Public with Her New Boyfriend: 'Hiding in Plain Sight'

Valerie Bertinelli went public with her new man — and it almost went unnoticed!

The Indulge cookbook author stepped out with her mystery beau on April 3 while filming The Drew Barrymore Show. He is a writer who goes by the moniker Hoarse Whisperer on social media and his Substack titled Hoarse Whisperings.

"I'm madly in love," she told PEOPLE in an April cover story.

Bertinelli, 63, and her boyfriend — who's 10 years her junior — were seen walking together outside the studio, with his hand on her back. Bertinelli shared the photo on Threads and captioned it: "Hiding in plain sight 🤭"

He cheekily responded to the Threads post: "No idea who the security guy is but you look great."

The East Coast writer has been stealthily supporting his girlfriend and her cookbook release by posting on social media. In one photo, he is seen reading Bertinelli's PEOPLE cover. "Long flights are a great time to catch up on your reading," he wrote.

The couple first became friendly a few years ago when he commented on one of Bertinelli's Instagram posts. “I thought he was interesting,” she told PEOPLE. “It was strictly platonic, but there was something about him that I connected with that felt familiar. A comfort level. He felt like a kindred spirit.”

The relationship progressed from the occasional DM, to telephone and FaceTime calls. “I was very guarded, as was he,” says Bertinelli of their first call in January. “His voice had the most beautiful timbre. I was like ‘Oh, I can’t talk to this man right now because that’s really sexy.’ We both had strong feelings, trying not to admit them.”

They met for the first time in person in early March and had a romantic weekend with long walks in New York’s Central Park. “I’m driving up to meet him, and he’s already at the hotel standing outside,” she recalls. “I just jump out of the car, and I run to him, and I hug him. It was the best hug. I immediately felt like I was home. This is where I belong, in this man’s arms. It all feels incredibly right.”

The Food Network alum finalized her divorce from Tom Vitale in November 2022, after 11 years of marriage. She was married to the late Eddie Van Halen from 1981 to 2007.

"I want to be very clear that this process has taken a long time," says Bertinelli. "I found joy first, and then a man entered my life."