Valerie Bertinelli's Gruesome Arm Injury Has Her Brother Asking What Everyone Is Thinking

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Valerie Bertinelli fans collectively gasped when the Food Network alum shared a pic of a fairly gruesome-looking injury to her Instagram. However, among the well-wishes, her brother's response was a little more on the candid side. "What the hell ... ?" he wrote — and we've got to say, we have the same question! 

ICYMI, Valerie took to Instagram to share a snap of a gash running down her forearm. In the accompanying caption, she revealed that she'd sustained it while filming a yet-to-be-revealed project in front of a live studio audience. "This is what happens when you literally trip over the corner of a stage and fall on your ass in front of the crew. And the whole audience," she wrote. 

The "Hot in Cleveland" actor didn't give any other hints as to what she had been filming at the time. That said, in light of the fact that Valerie has said she preferred her Food Network show over acting, something tells us it may have been a kitchen-related incident. And that brings us back to her brother, Patrick Bertinelli's comment — because even though Valerie copped to clumsiness in her Instagram post's caption, accidents in the kitchen are certainly something to be avoided, especially if being in a kitchen is your livelihood. Even so, we're relieved to see that she was okay enough to poke fun at the situation and joke about not blaming anyone else for it. As she quipped upfront, "I would ask for hazard pay, but it was my own damn fault."

While most of the comments Valerie Bertinelli received on her Instagram post were related to her accident, some made no secret of their excitement about what she was cooking up. "You got me at 'fun new project'! Can't wait to hear about it," wrote one fan. "Hope you heal quickly, so you can finish your project," chimed another. 

At the time of this writing, Bertinelli hasn't offered up any details as to what the mysterious new gig entails, though in September 2024, she confirmed that she was officially onboarding "The Drew Barrymore Show" as one of the program's lifestyle experts. Said new role has included her cooking cotton candy bacon on the set, so something tells us fans are already happy to have been reunited with the star after her bitter fallout with the Food Network. Other than "The Drew Barrymore Show," Bertinelli has also shared that she'll be voicing Chef Polly on Disney Jr.'s "Robogobo."

Time will tell if Bertinelli's new gig is also food-related, but we can certainly hope so. In the meantime, it's safe to say the actor-turned-cook is committed to getting her life back on track after her messy divorce from Tom Vitale. We love to see it — and just like the fans in her comment section, we hope Bertinelli's arm heals up soon, so we can see what's next for her.