{"id":218114,"date":"2026-01-20T20:42:19","date_gmt":"2026-01-20T20:42:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/20\/valerie-bertinelli-claims-she-was-fired-from-job-after-gaining-weight\/"},"modified":"2026-01-20T20:42:19","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T20:42:19","slug":"valerie-bertinelli-claims-she-was-fired-from-job-after-gaining-weight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/20\/valerie-bertinelli-claims-she-was-fired-from-job-after-gaining-weight\/","title":{"rendered":"Valerie Bertinelli Claims She Was Fired From Job After Gaining Weight"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Valerie Bertinelli<\/strong><\/a> is opening up about the emotional toll of losing a high-profile spokesperson job after gaining weight.<\/p>\n

\u201cI felt so horrified,\u201d the Hot in Cleveland<\/em> star, 65, told host Drew Barrymore<\/strong><\/a> on a recent episode of her daytime talk series, The Drew Barrymore Show<\/em><\/a>. Bertinelli\u2019s confession on the January 14 show has made headlines as she prepares to release her new book, Getting Naked<\/em>, in March 2026.<\/p>\n

Bertinelli reflected on that painful experience during a game of \u201cMemory Bank,\u201d in which stars look back on pivotal moments from their lives. The One Day at a Time<\/em> alum recalled her Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony in 2012.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou look stunning,\u201d Barrymore said after seeing the image of her interviewee in a lace white dress with an above-the-knee hemline. Bertinelli completed her look with a voluminous blowout and peep-toe heels, opting for dainty jewelry including a chic bracelet.<\/p>\n

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\n Valerie Bertinelli at her Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony in 2012.<\/span> Getty<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Bertinelli, who now promotes self-acceptance, said she felt the opposite.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started a diet program and then became their spokesperson in 2007 and I had lost 50 pounds,\u201d she shared.\u201cLife started to get the better of me.\u201d<\/p>\n

She added, \u201cI wasn\u2019t taking care of my mental and emotional health, so the weight started to come back on. And this was the last year, I believe, that I was with this diet company. And they fired me, eventually said, \u2018We can\u2019t keep going with you because you\u2019re gaining weight again.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Bertinelli was disappointed to lose the job, considering her weight had fluctuated before and she still had a smaller figure then when she started her fitness journey.<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember thinking, \u2018But size 12\u2019s not that big!\u2019\u201d she shared about her appearance<\/a> at the time. \u201cBut I had gotten down to a size 4 \u2014 which was way too small for me and impossible for me to maintain.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bertinelli said that it\u2019s been an ongoing struggle for her as weight goes \u201cup and down, but pretty much, basically, this weight my whole life that I am right now, and I\u2019m a size 10 now.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n Valerie Bertinelli.<\/span> Photo by Rodin Eckenroth\/Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Since then, she\u2019s learned to feel more comfortable in her own skin and is grateful for making those strides.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy mental and emotional health \u2014 even though I\u2019m getting teary-eyed \u2014 is so strong right now<\/a>,\u201d the Losing It: And Gaining My Life Back One Pound at a Time<\/em> author said. \u201cI\u2019m so strong and firm in who I am and, no matter what people throw at me, I know who I am and I know what kind of person I am and it doesn\u2019t matter how much I weigh.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n Related: <\/span>Valerie Bertinelli Shares She\u2019s \u2018A Bit Anxious\u2019 to Return to Acting<\/span><\/a>
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\n\t\t\tValerie Bertinelli is taking a huge \u2014 but scary \u2014 career step. Bertinelli, 65, revealed via Instagram on June 9 that she\u2019s returning to acting in an upcoming Lifetime project. While the Food Network star didn\u2019t share details about the project, she did admit that she\u2019s \u201cso grateful, if not a bit anxious.\u201d \u201cIt\u2019s an [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

As for that lace dress, it\u2019s still in her closet. \u201cAnd it fits me just fine,\u201d Bertinelli said with pride. \u201cIt\u2019s a little less snug than it is there, but I just. If anything, it doesn\u2019t matter what size we are. What is our heart?\u201d<\/p>\n

Barrymore agreed wholeheartedly, noting that it\u2019s important to focus on \u201cwhat is healthy for you\u201d versus what society deems as skinny and overweight.<\/p>\n

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