Eddie Van Halen & Valerie Bertinelli Split

LOS ANGELES (Van Halen Fans Website/LA Times) - After more than 21 years of marriage, guitarist Eddie Van Halen and actress Valerie Bertinelli have separated.

Rumors of marital discord dogged the couple for years, with the One Day At A Time and Touched By An Angel star supposedly threatening to leave the Van Halen founder on more than one occasion if he couldn't control his drinking.A spokesperson for Van Halen told Michael Lewittes of Us magazine, "Because they are the parents of a young son, they have requested that their family's privacy be respected at this time."

The couple just bought a house in the Hollywood Hills, according to the Los Angeles Times. The "Hot Property" section of Sunday's (July 7) paper had news of Van Halen and Bertinelli buying a recently remodeled 54-year-old house with five bedrooms and six bathrooms on a piece of property measuring about an acre. The house was listed for $2.25-million, and they reportedly paid close to that amount.

The article continued, "The house is behind gates with city views and rolling lawns, where Van Halen, an avid golfer, can practice his swing. The house also has vaulted ceilings, two wood-burning fireplaces, a media and family room, a master suite with walk-in closets, and a separate bedroom wing off the family room."

The couple married at St. Paul The Apostle Church in Westwood, California, on April 11, 1981, with the late Nicolette Larson singing a French-language love song written especially for the event. The couple has a son, Wolfgang William, who was born March 16, 1991.