The Backstory
Valerie Bertinelli, the 63-year-old actress best known for her roles on “One Day at a Time” and “Hot in Cleveland,” has been dyeing her hair for years. Though she’s embraced growing older in many respects, she hadn’t yet felt comfortable letting her natural gray hair show.
That changed this week when Bertinelli posted an Instagram video displaying her gray roots peeking through her dyed brown hair. She shared that she was tired of coloring her hair every six weeks and implored others to back off the judgment about women aging naturally.
“Because of COVID I wasn’t seeing my hair colorist and I made the decision to stop coloring my hair,” Bertinelli says in the video. “I just wanted to let you know that while I was reading comments on other posts people were saying that I need to color my hair. And I was thinking no I don’t, I don’t need to do anything that I don’t want to do right now.”
This candid reveal of her natural hair coincides with the recent launch of herPLATFORM podcast “Rebellious Spirit with Valerie Bertinelli” in which she discusses topics related to life, aging, body image and self-love.
Details of Her Post
On January 3rd, Bertinelli posted a nearly two-minute IGTV video to Instagram showing a close-up look at her current hair regrowth and gray roots. She directly addresses commenters who have criticized her choice to let her natural hair grow in.
"You're not in charge of my hair or anyone else's hair but your own," Bertinelli declares in the post.
The video now has over 260,000 views and 71,000 likes. The comments have been overwhelmingly positive, with fans and celebrities alike showing their support for Bertinelli’s choice.
Fellow actress Jennifer Garner replied, “You are beautiful, but you knew that… 😉” while singer Carnie Wilson wrote, “Beauty is ageless Val! Inside and out.”
| Celebrities Showing Support on Instagram |
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| Jennifer Garner |
| Carnie Wilson |
| Debi Mazar |
| Kathy Najimy |
In a year where criticism over Liz Hurley and Paulina Porizkova’s makeup-free photos has made headlines, Bertinelli’s video makes a strong statement about aging positively.
Bertinelli’s History with Body Image Issues
While the actress radiates confidence in the Instagram video, she is no stranger to criticism over her looks – especially her weight.
After gaining weight in her 40s, Bertinelli became the frequent target of tabloid fat-shaming. She once told People magazine about reading a particularly nasty article: “It said I was overweight, out of control and desperately lonely.”
In 2007, she became a spokesperson for Jenny Craig and lost over 50 pounds on the program. But she reveals she struggled to keep the weight off and would beat herself up whenever she regained pounds.
“I’ve struggled with weight loss my entire life,” Bertinelli writes in her upcoming book "Enough Already." “I’ve been up and down on the scale my whole life.”
Though she’s made peace with the scale and built a healthier relationship with food, this video shows Bertinelli is still battling societal judgement – this time over letting her natural hair color shine through.
The Support Bertinelli Hopes to Give Others
Rather than hide her grays, Bertinelli says she hopes to inspire other women to embrace their natural hair. She thanked her fans for their compassionate words and for sharing their own silver hair journey.
“I just wanted to say hey, thanks for the great response,” Bertinelli says. “Everybody’s got an opinion but we don’t need to listen to it!”
Hair colorist Jack Martin of Salon On 5th tells Good Morning America he expects more women to follow Bertinelli’s lead in 2023:
“I think she looks amazing and that 2023 is going to be the year many women embrace their grey/silver hair!”
While the natural hair movement has primarily focused on curly and textured hair, Bertinelli joins Helen Mirren, Andie MacDowell, and other celebs proving that gray hair can be beautiful too. Her viral video encourages women to make that choice for themselves rather than bowing to outside opinions.
“Let people talk,” Bertinelli says. “You do you, be the best version of you.”
At the end of the day, she just wants others to know:
“Your beauty, your self-worth and your value has nothing to do with your appearance or your weight or your age," Bertinelli declares. "You are so much more than that.”
What This Means for the Future
Bertinelli’s vulnerable video has struck a chord, sparking an outpouring of support across social media. With over 260,000 views on Instagram so far, her post will likely inspire even more women to embrace their natural hair in 2023.
“Thank you for opening up this conversation,” one fan replied on Instagram. Another wrote, “You’re helping us feel braver, stronger and happier in our own skin at every age.”
At 63, Bertinelli joins several high-profile women showing that beauty has no expiration date. Her courage gives other women “permission” to age gracefully under the scrutiny of Hollywood’s standards.
While the actress has overcome disordered eating and poor body image in the past, her most recent battle is for the right to age on her own terms. This war against ageism and societal judgement is one Bertinelli seems determined to win – with thousands of supporters rallying behind her.
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