Inside Eddie Van Halen's '80s Romance With Ex-Wife Valerie Bertinelli

Eddie Van Halen passed away on Oct. 6 and was married to Janie Liszewski at the time of his death. But long before the late rock legend tied the knot with his second wife, he was married to Valerie Bertinelli for over 20 years.

The musician and the "One Day at a Time" actress had a whirlwind romance. They met in 1980 during one of Van Halen's concerts and tied the knot just eight months later.

According to Page Six, drugs and music took precedence over their marriage. When Bertinelli joined Van Halen on the road after their wedding, he often drank alcohol, used cocaine and played guitar all night, a lifestyle that his wife soon began to emulate. The actress started using cocaine to keep up with her husband, the report said.

Bertinelli reportedly told the fiancée of Van Halen's ex-road manager, Noel Monk, that the guitarist "likes [her] skinny," per the report.

However, it came to a point where Van Halen noticed Bertinelli's drastic change and urged her to stop using cocaine and start eating.

She later shared in her 2008 book, "Losing It," that he took her for a chili cheese dog and fries and "saved [her] from a serious eating disorder."

However, Bertinelli's eating issues did not end there. Earlier this year, she admitted on "Today" that she struggled with emotional eating and used food to "not feel sadness." But she realized how unhealthy she was being and chose other ways to deal with her emotions.

"Instead of using food as a numbing agent to not feel the feelings, I just have to push through them and feel it," she said.

In 1991, Van Halen and Bertinelli welcomed their son, Wolfgang. However, having a child did not resolve their marital crisis. The following years proved even more challenging for the couple, especially when Van Halen was diagnosed with tongue cancer in 2000.

At the time, he promised Bertinelli that he had already quit drugs and was sober. She believed him until she found cocaine in his wallet, which was apparently the last straw for the actress. They separated in 2001 and were officially divorced five years later.

Joel Selvin, who co-wrote the memoir "Red: My Uncensored Life in Rock," told New York Post that he believes Bertinelli really loved her husband but gave up on their relationship due to his substance abuse and excessive drinking.

"There’s no question that Valerie had strong feelings for Eddie," Selvin said. "I don’t know that she got sick of him. But I do think she got sick of the alcohol and the drugs."

Almost a decade after their separation, Van Halen married Liszewski, a Hollywood stunt woman, in 2009. Two years later, Bertinelli also tied the knot with financial planner Tom Vitale. The two exes, who remained friends after their split, were present at each other's second weddings.

Following Van Halen's death earlier this month, Bertinelli penned a heartfelt tribute for her ex-husband and shared a throwback family photo that showed her and the late rock legend holding their son.

"40 years ago my life changed forever when I met you … I'm so grateful Wolfie and I were able to hold you in your last moments," she wrote. "I will see you in our next life my love."