LOS ANGELES – Guitarist Eddie Van Halen and actress Valerie Bertinelli have announced they secretly separated nearly 10 months ago after 20 years of marriage.
Bertinelli's publicist, Heidi Schaeffer, confirmed the split Tuesday, but did not say whether the pair has plans to formally divorce.
The two have been living apart since summer 2001, when Bertinelli, 42, formerly of the sitcom One Day at a Time, began a role on the CBS religious drama Touched By an Angel.
Van Halen continued living with their 10-year-old son, Wolfgang, in Los Angeles while Bertinelli was filming the series in Salt Lake City.
They formally separated in October 2001, Schaeffer said.
Van Halen, 45, co-founded the rock band that bears his name in 1974 with his drumming older brother, Alex. Van Halen's 1978 debut album sold more than 10 million copies in the United States. Other hit albums included 1984, 5150 and OU812.
The couple wedded in 1981 and theirs was among the longest lasting Hollywood marriages.
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