Valerie Bertinelli poses nude at 65 for new memoir cover

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• 🔥 Quick Facts
• Nude at 65 Feels Better Than Thin at 45
• Overcoming Lifelong Body Shame
• From Implants to Healing
• A New Chapter at 65
• Will This Shift How Celebrities Talk About Aging?
  • Watch the Full Interview
  • Sources

Valerie Bertinelli shocks fans with a bold choice at 65 for her upcoming memoir. The actress poses completely nude on the cover of Getting Naked, calling the decision “my stupid bright idea” but admitting she feels incredible about it. The book arrives March 10, 2026.

Nude at 65 Feels Better Than Thin at 45

Valerie Bertinelli opened up in this week’s PEOPLE cover story about her decision to pose naked. “Because getting naked emotionally was the most important part of the book, I thought I might as well expose myself there too,” she explained. The Food Network star compared the experience to her famous 2009 PEOPLE bikini cover, which came after losing 40 pounds for Nutri-System. “I was a good 20 pounds thinner and my body was definitely tighter, but I think it felt better doing this,” she revealed.

“Part of me also feels like at this age, if I can look good, do it,” Bertinelli laughed during the interview. “And I don’t know what I’m going to look like when I’m 80, but at 65 it looks pretty good. I think you’re allowed to feel good about yourself.”

Overcoming Lifelong Body Shame

Bertinelli says posing nude at 65 represents a profound shift in how she views her body. For decades, she internalized negative messages about her appearance starting in childhood. “Being told all those things: Your body isn’t perfect enough, you’re still not 110 pounds,” she recalled. “Well, I’ll never see that weight again and I don’t need to.” She spent decades battling weight gain, weight loss, and unrealistic beauty standards.

In 2024, Bertinelli lost too much weight due to stress, a painful experience that led her to embrace a healthier, more balanced approach. “I lost way too much weight in 2024 because I was so stressed out that I never want to be that weight again either. I’m finally at a comfortable place where my clothes fit,” she shared with PEOPLE.

From Implants to Healing

Book Detail	Information
Title	Getting Naked: The Quiet Work of Becoming Perfectly Imperfect
Release	March 10, 2026
Publisher	Harper Wave
Pages	240

Bertinelli also disclosed in her memoir that she had breast implants in the late 1980s that she removed in 2024. The journey proved complicated. After weight fluctuations, she decided to remove the implants, but developed a serious infection during surgery. “My breast became infected and started to cave in on itself. It became a crater,” she described with dark humor. Despite the trauma, Bertinelli refuses to let it define her.

“I have felt bad about myself for too many decades. I’m going to feel good about myself now.”

— Valerie Bertinelli, in PEOPLE Cover Story

A New Chapter at 65

The memoir explores far more than body image. Getting Naked tackles sexual abuse she experienced at age 11, which she revealed publicly for the first time just days ago. Bertinelli also writes about menopause, generational trauma, her two divorces, and the insecurities that shaped her entire life. The 5 hours and 51 minutes audiobook is narrated by Bertinelli herself, adding intimacy to her candid confessions.

Beyond the book, Bertinelli is launching Valerie’s Place, a new digital platform offering three cooking shows, a podcast, a book club, and live cooking sessions. She continues her role on The Drew Barrymore Show as part of the “Drew Crew” and spends quiet moments watching “Bird TV” with her rescue cats. At this stage of her life, Bertinelli has shifted from seeking external validation to building genuine connection.

Will This Shift How Celebrities Talk About Aging?

As society becomes more polarized about aging and body image, Valerie Bertinelli‘s decision to pose nude at 65 challenges conventional celebrity narratives. Rather than hiding or heavily filtering her appearance, she’s celebrating her body exactly as it is. The PEOPLE cover reveals a woman at peace with herself, defying the notion that beauty requires perfection at any age.

Getting Naked releases March 10, 2026 and is available for preorder worldwide. Bertinelli will embark on a book tour to discuss her journey, including a stop at Vroman’s Bookstore in Burbank on March 23. Her candid memoir promises to resonate with readers struggling with the same insecurities that dominated her life for decades.

Sources

• PEOPLE Magazine – Exclusive cover story featuring Valerie Bertinelli on posing nude at 65
• Harper Wave Publishing – Official Getting Naked memoir details and release information
• USA Today – Coverage of Bertinelli’s disclosure about childhood sexual abuse in new memoir