Valerie Bertinelli, Eddie Van Halen and Wolf Van Halen.Photo: Gregg DeGuire/Getty; Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images; Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Valerie Bertinelliand her sonWolf Van Halenare speaking out against the REELZ Channel’s documentary-style seriesAutopsy: The Last Hours of…, which will explore the death ofEddie Van Halenin a June 5 episode.
In a series of tweets on Wednesday, the mother-son duo slammed the network, the show, and those involved for focusing on the late Van Halen founder, who died in 2020 at the age of 65 after a battle with cancer.
“F—@ReelzChannel, f— everyone that works on this show, and f— you if you watch it. F—ing disgustingtrying to glamorize someone’s death from cancer,” Wolf, 31, wrote in response to a tweet fromBlabbermouthpublicizing the show. “Pathetic and heartless.”
Bertinelli — who was married to Eddie for over 20 years — commented on her son’s post. The 62-year-old starwrote, “Good Christ this is disgusting.”
“The REELZ series generates much feedback from our viewers ranging from medical professionals who praise its scientific accuracy, fans who tell us it provides closure or that they have become more proactive for the benefit of their health and many who gain helpful perspective of health issues that might not otherwise receive attention…,” the statement continued.
The channel’s website for “Autopsy: The Last Hours of Eddie Van Halen” poses the question: “So what happened?”
“World-renowned forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Hunter needs to analyze every detail of Eddie Van Halen’s life in order to piece together what else may have been going on in his body, ultimately leading to his untimely death,” the description reads.
Wolf Van Halen with father, Eddie Van Halen.Kevin Mazur/Getty
At the time of his death, a source close to Eddie told PEOPLE that the guitar hero had a rapid decline in health in the three days leading up to his passing and that the cancer had “spread to all his organs.”
His wife Janie Liszewski, son Wolf and Bertinelli were at the hospital with Van Halen at the time of his death.
Earlier that year, his former bandmate David Lee RothtoldLas Vegas-Review Journalthat Van Halen was not doing well.
The iconic guitarist had battled throat cancer for more than 10 years, according to TMZ. He previously defeated tongue cancer in 2002 after a two-year battle.
Van Halen, which Eddie co-founded, was formed in 1972 in Pasadena, California. Since then, it has released 12 studio albums, including their latestA Different Kind of Truthin 2012.
The band is one of the top 20 best-selling artists of all time and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007.
source: people.com
