Bon Jovi and Dorothea Hurley: Insights into their marriage

The following article mentions overdose, mental heath struggles, and suicidal thoughts.

Jon Bon Jovi will be the first to admit that he hasn’t been 100% faithful in his marriage to his wife, Dorothea Hurley. As the frontman of the band Bon Jovi and a longtime sex symbol of the music world, Bon Jovi knows his good looks have gotten him in a little bit of trouble during his marriage. As he told Michale Strahan in a 2024 ABC News special, “I’m a rock ‘n’ roll star. I’m not a saint. … I’m Jon Bon Jovi; it was pretty good.” Hey, at least he’s honest.

Still, as far as Hollywood marriages are concerned, Bon Jovi and Hurley’s relationship is an enduring one. Hurley has supported Bon Jovi’s husband’s rock ‘n’ roll career since its humble beginnings, and her unyielding support is something he does not take for granted. “She’s certainly not afraid to call me out on something, but she’s also there when I fall. And I’m there for her when she falls,” he said to Strahan. “No matter where I went in my career, the ups or the downs, we went there together.” The road hasn’t always been easy, but Bon Jovi and Hurley are still a team all these years later.

Jon Bon Jovi and Dorothea Hurley are high school sweethearts

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Jon Bon Jovi (whose real name is John Bongiovi) and Dorothea Hurley’s love story began when they were teenagers. The pair met in 1980 while attending Sayreville War Memorial High School in New Jersey. Speaking to People about their first encounter, the rockstar shared, “She let me cheat off her in history. I was immediately drawn to her from the minute I saw her, and that never changed.”

In 2023, the couple stopped by SiriusXM’s “The Howard Stern Show.” During their chat with Howard Stern, Hurley reflected on their high school days and the moment she saw her husband for the first time. She told Stern that Bon Jovi was “100%” the cutest guy in high school but revealed that she was not into him because she wasn’t really into the idea of dating a rock musician. That is until she watched him perform. “I just remember being impressed that you could sing,” she told Bon Jovi. She added, “He was very good.”

They skipped out on their prom

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Prom can be one of the most memorable experiences for teenagers before they say farewell to high school. However, prom isn’t for everyone, including Jon Bon Jovi, who was already making waves with his music. By 16, he had set up a ten-piece rhythm and blues band called Atlantic City Expressway and would also perform for bands like the Rest and John Bongiovi and the Wild Ones as opening acts.

In the aforementioned “The Howard Stern Show” interview, Bon Jovi shared that their prom happened to fall on the same night as a big show with the Rest. The band was set to open up for Southside Johnny at a concert that pulled in thousands of people. He trusted his gut and ultimately picked the show over prom. Dorothea Hurley also picked the show over prom.

Bon Jovi told Stern about ditching the prom, “I remember we went to the diner after the show, and all the kids were in their prom outfits and we were coming in for a burger in blue jeans and t-shirts having just played to 10,000 people and opening for John.”

Jon Bon Jovi and Dorothea Hurley eloped in Las Vegas

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Jon Bon Jovi and Dorothea Hurley instantly clicked in high school, but the couple broke up in 1985. That year, Bon Jovi dated actor Diane Lane, who starred in films like “Streets of Fire” and “The Outsiders.” On a 2017 episode of “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen,” Lane shared she saw the musician for around five months when she was 20. There seemed to be no hard feelings when they split, with Lane adding, “Every girl should have such a wonderful experience when she’s that young.”

After his short fling with Lane, Bon Jovi and Hurley reconciled, and she was by his side when his band found enormous success and worldwide recognition with their third album, 1986’s “Slippery When Wet.” The album produced the hits “Livin’ On A Prayer,” “You Give Love A Bad Name,” and “Wanted Dead or Alive.” Two years later, the band had the No. 1 album in the country with their fourth record, “New Jersey.”

Bon Jovi and Hurley then became one of many famous couples who got married after breaking up. In 1989, the couple eloped in Las Vegas. Bon Jovi told Men’s Health it was a spur-of-the-moment decision, but it felt right. He recalled telling Hurley about getting hitched, “‘I got an idea. Why don’t we go right now?’ She said, ‘You’re out of your mind.’ [I] said, ‘Come on. What’s better than this, right now, this moment?'”

Jon Bon Jovi’s fans weren’t happy he got married

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Although Jon Bon Jovi and Dorothea Hurley were ready to take the next step in their relationship, not everyone was on board with their union. The frontman of Bon Jovi was a sex symbol across the globe, and as far as some fans were concerned, that ring on his finger was a major turn-off. Even the singer’s manager wasn’t pleased when he secretly eloped in Las Vegas.

In a 2018 interview with the Mirror, Bon Jovi shared, “It was like Harry Styles or Justin Timberlake getting married. I was that to the young girls in my time. When I came back from Vegas, my manager was furious. He was like, ‘America’s boy is now married … that’s not a good career move.’ The record company was also despondent.'”

Despite breaking the hearts of many of his adoring fans, Bon Jovi doesn’t regret saying I do at the height of his music career. “Looking back on it, the marriage was the greatest deal I ever made,” he said.

The couple welcomed four children

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Dorothea Hurley and Jon Bon Jovi share four kids. The couple became first-time parents on May 31, 1993, when they welcomed their daughter, Stephanie Rose Bongiovi, into the world. They wouldn’t take too long to give Stephanie a sibling, and on February 19, 1995, their son Jesse James Louis Bongovi was born. Their family grew on May 7, 2002, with the birth of their second son and third child, Jacob “Jake” Hurley Bongiovi. Two years later, Hurley gave birth to their fourth child, Romeo Jon Bongiovi, on March 29, 2004.

The family is extremely close, having quarantined together due to the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. Bon Jovi told People, “We spent more time in [our New Jersey] house than we have in over a decade. For about a month, our whole family was intact.” Hurley added, “Our focus has always been family first and making sure that people are doing well. We like each other. We spent a lot of time together, and it was more than we have spent in many years, but it was nice.”

They banded together when their daughter suffered an overdose

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In 2012, Jon Bon Jovi’s daughter Stephanie Bongiovi rang him from a hospital, letting her famous father know she had overdosed on drugs. Stephanie, who was 19 years old at the time, was found unconscious in her college dorm room after having overdosed on heroin. Thankfully, she recovered and phoned Bon Jovi to tell him what happened. It was a total shock to the rockstar. “It was horrible, a horrible moment,” he told the Mirror in 2013. “It was my worst moment as a father.”

Stephanie was arrested and charged with multiple drug-related class A misdemeanors, but the charges were quickly dropped. Per New York state law, a person who suffers an overdose and is in possession of a small amount of heroin cannot be prosecuted.

In a 2016 People interview, Bon Jovi and Dorothea Hurley opened up again about their daughter’s overdose. Sharing that the family came together to support Stephanie, Hurley said, “It happens to a lot of families that you would never know. We dealt with it as a family.” In addition, the Bon Jovi singer stated that the incident helped the Bongiovi family bond even more than they already do. “We couldn’t get any closer,” he said.

Jon Bon Jovi wasn’t the perfect husband

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Jon Bon Jovi has always expressed his gratitude towards his wife, Dorothea Hurley, especially for understanding that the life of a rock ‘n’ roll star isn’t easy. “I’ve been in one of the biggest rock bands in the world for 25 years, and I’m not a saint, and I have not been a saint. And, Christ, I missed tons of birthdays and school plays,” he told Men’s Health in 2010. The “Livin’ on a Prayer” rocker also noted that Hurley’s been there since the beginning, so she’s been more than familiar with the score for a long time.

Hurley also appeared to come to terms with her husband’s infidelity. Speaking with Michael Strahan for ABC News in 2024, Bon Jovi made the revelation that he had been unfaithful in his marriage. “I got away with murder,” he said, adding, “I’m not saying there weren’t 100 girls in my life.”

But, no matter what occurred in their relationship, Hurley stuck by Bon Jovi. “There is no doubt in my mind that this world revolves because of her,” he told Strahan. “Because of what she did to keep the kids right, what she does to keep me right, what we do together to keep it right.”

Dorothea Hurley helped her husband during dark periods of his life

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Dorothea Hurley has been there for her husband during his darkest times. In a 2017 interview with the Mirror, Jon Bon Jovi recalled the immense stress and exhaustion the band faced in the late ’80s and early ’90s because of their hectic touring schedule and issues with their management. It ultimately led to the band taking a hiatus, and Bon Jovi fell into depression and even contemplated suicide. Through all of it, he was able to lean on his wife for support. “She is the rock of my family, my career, my being. I am grateful for someone in my life like that who I can love and trust,” he said. The band eventually reunited and released 1992’s “Keep the Faith.”

Hurley would be a stable force in Bon Jovi’s life when guitarist Richie Sambora unexpectedly left the band during their 2013 “Because We Can” tour. It was a shocking departure (Sambora explained in the 2024 documentary “Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story” that he needed to be with his family), with Bon Jovi telling the Mirror in 2016 it was “a difficult period”  and “it felt like the weight of the world was on my shoulders.” His wife helped him cope with the devastating loss to the band. “It was a very, very difficult time that I haven’t fully rebounded from yet, but my wife has been phenomenal. Without her, I am not sure how I would have coped,” the rock star said.

They launched JBJ Soul Foundation

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In 2006, Jon Bon Jovi and Dorothea Hurley launched the JBJ Soul Foundation to help those in need. The foundation’s website states that it aims to “recognize and maximize the human potential in those affected by hunger, poverty, and homelessness by offering assistance in establishing programs that provide food and affordable housing.” The nonprofit began by renovating 15 homes in Philadelphia, and it soon expanded by teaming up with Habitat for Humanity to build homes across the United States. Since its launch, 1,000 units of affordable housing have been built.

The couple also opened up four volunteer-run Soul Kitchen restaurants, a nonprofit community restaurant where diners pay what they can. All restaurant locations are in Bon Jovi and Hurley’s home state of New Jersey. Speaking to People about the restaurant’s communal seating style, Bon Jovi shared, “People are seated communally because we want people here to read each other. You never know who you’re sitting next to. You don’t know if it’s someone in need or if it’s someone who’s come to pay. That’s really not what this is about. What you’re going to find is so much in common with your neighbor.”

Millie Bobby Brown will be their daughter-in-law

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When Jon Bon Jovi and Dorothea Hurley’s son, Jake Bongiovi, posted a photo on Instagram hanging out with “Stranger Things” actor Millie Bobby Brown in June 2021, the internet went into a frenzy. By November 2021, the couple went Instagram official, with Brown sharing a blurry snap of the two sharing a kiss while riding the London Eye.

Bongiovi and Brown took a big relationship step in March 2022 when they made their red carpet debut at the BAFTAs. Since making their relationship public, Bongiovi has made several appearances with Brown, including attending the Season 4 premiere of “Stranger Things.” In April 2023, Bongiovi proposed to Brown, and she accepted despite a minor ring-related mishap. The actor shared a black-and-white photo of her wearing an engagement ring while Bongiovi hugged her. “I’ve loved you three summers now, honey, I want ’em all,” she captioned the sweet post.

Jon Bon Jovi confirmed the big news on “Radio Andy.” Despite the newly engaged couple being so young, the rocker had no issues with his son taking such a big step in his life. “I don’t know if age matters. If you find the right partner and you grow together … my advice really is growing together is wise,” he shared. Since then, Bon Jovi and Dorothea Hurley joined their soon-to-be daughter-in-law and their son on the red carpet premiere of her Netflix film “Damsel” in March 2024.

Their secret to a successful marriage is respect

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A number of Hollywood couples have opened up about how they’ve made their long-lasting marriages work. Jon Bon Jovi and Dorothea Hurley are among the superstar power couples who have maintained a loving and strong connection and are frequently asked, “What is the secret to a successful marriage?”

Speaking to People in 2016, the couple believe growing together is the key to success. “She’s the glue,” the musician said. “I’m the crazy visionary with all kinds of things flying, and the seams are all splitting. She’s the one following me with the glue and the thread and needle, keeping it all together.” Hurley, who has seen her husband grow to become an iconic rockstar, added, “Somehow it works. I think because we grow at the same rate. We grew equally and not in opposite directions.”

Four years later, celebrating their 31st wedding anniversary, the couple were still very much in love. In an interview with People, Bon Jovi expressed that their thriving marriage was due to “mutual respect.” He shared, “Having grown up together and grown together. And we really like each other. We want to hang out.”

In 2024, they celebrated 35 years of marriage

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2024 marked Jon Bon Jovi and Dorothea Hurley’s 35th wedding anniversary. It’s a significant milestone for the famous couple, who have truly been through the wringer. Playing a game of “Ask Me Anything” on “Good Morning America,” Bon Jovi was asked for his marriage advice to newlyweds. “It’s all about growing together. You know, every day is going to bring you challenges, and you’re going to change over the course of 35 years. But growing together, I think, is the key to happiness,” he said.

Hurley has been the rock to this rock star, especially with the latest revelations of Bon Jovi’s transgressions. Although he’s come clean about his actions, it looks like Hurley is sticking with her hubby no matter what. “It’s about never lying about having been a saint, but not being a fool enough to f**k up home life, either,” he told the Independent. At this rate, it seems like the rock ‘n’ roll couple’s relationship will last a lifetime.

If you or anyone you know needs help with substance misuse issues, is struggling with mental health issues, or is in crisis, contact the relevant resources below:

Call or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).