“Most importantly, I like me”—Valerie Bertinelli on dealing with criticism

Valerie Bertinelli has been in the public eye for decades, first as a teen star in the 1970s sitcom One Day at a Time, then as a host, author, and food personality. Over the years, she’s shared both joyful and difficult moments of her life with her audience.

Recently, she’s been juggling several projects, including promoting her latest cookbook and making guest appearances on talk shows. Despite her busy schedule, she uses social media to connect with followers in a more personal way.

On May 22, 2025, she shared a long, emotional caption on Instagram reflecting on the past eight months of her life. In the middle of it, one simple line stood out:

“Most importantly, I like me.”

That statement, though short, summed up a larger message about facing criticism, dealing with personal change, and learning to value yourself, no matter what others say. In the post, she opened up about relationship struggles, work stress, and learning to show up for herself even on hard days.

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Valerie Bertinelli explains why self-acceptance matters more than outside approval

In her recent post, she talked about how her father tried to instill the lessons of being a likable person by being a hard worker and people pleaser. Valerie Bertinelli stated,

“Love you, Pops and I hate to break it to you, not everybody’s gonna like me. And for the first time in my life, at 65, I’m more than okay with that.”

Pointing out how unrealistic it is to expect universal approval. Growing up, she felt pressure to please everyone around her.

Over time, she realized that chasing likes and praise from strangers only led to self-doubt. By choosing to value her own opinion first, she created space to grow.

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She reflects on challenges that tested her self-worth

In recent months, Valerie Bertinelli described living through “some of the most emotionally excruciating eight months” of her life. During that time, she ended a public relationship, moved between work projects in different states, and released her latest cookbook.

She admitted there were mornings when getting out of bed felt impossible. Yet she kept going, showing up for her jobs and her healing. That persistence underlines how self-worth can guide us through hard times.

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Her response to body shaming and negative comments

When critics judged her appearance, Valerie Bertinelli pushed back with clear words:

“For the first time in my life, I love my body as it is. It’s not the 20 year old body that I hated and it really is a shame that I hated that beautiful body. Yes, it was a very different body than the one I now inhabit, but it hadn’t yet been through the journey I needed to go through. Even as challenging as it’s been and is, I am grateful for this journey and I wouldn’t trade this body for my 20 year old body any day. Ever.”

Instead of hiding or apologizing, she chose honesty. On social media, she mutes or blocks comments that feel harmful. Offline, she turns to friends and family for feedback that builds her up rather than tears her down.

Valerie Bertinelli wrote,

“Every lump bump wrinkle and saggy part of me just feels acceptance and simple appreciation to be standing in front of a mirror in a hotel bathroom in downtown Manhattan ready to color my roots late on a Monday night”.

By speaking plainly about the changes she sees, she removes the aspect of shame and embraces the changes. Her words remind us that aging and change are natural parts of life, not failures.

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Valerie Bertinelli talks about the harm of judging yourself

In another post, Valerie Bertinelli warned that,

“betrayal of your own self-worth is even worse than another’s betrayal. You deserve kindness, respect, and confidence that can be trusted. Especially and mostly from yourself. We’re here on this little floating rock to learn and to love. Learn to love yourself. Even that damn shadow”.

This post highlights how harsh self-judgment can cut deeper than outside criticism. Treating yourself with basic care and respect is a choice you can make every day.

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Her approach gives a simple guide to handling criticism

Valerie Bertinelli‘s journey offers practical steps anyone can take. First, decide whose voices matter and mute the rest. Second, talk to yourself as you would to a friend who is hurting.

Third, look for any useful messages in feedback, but let go of hateful or unfair comments. Finally, repeat her mantra: your worth comes from within, not from public opinion. By following this path, dealing with criticism becomes less about avoiding pain and more about building inner strength.

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