The History Of Jon Bon Jovi And Dorothea Bongiovi’s Relationship
Jon Bon Jovi and Dorothea Bongiovi’s love story began in high school, leading to a secret Las Vegas wedding in 1989. Over 40 years, they raised four children, founded the JBJ Soul Foundation, and navigated challenges, including their daughter Stephanie’s 2012 overdose. Despite initial fan backlash, they celebrated milestones like Bon Jovi’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. Their enduring bond, marked by mutual respect, was spotlighted on SiriusXM’s The Howard Stern Show. Their commitment to each other and philanthropy was evident at the 2024 MusiCares Person of the Year event.
Source: Vinnie Zuffante/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty | Alt Text: JBJ With Dorothea hugging
Jon Bon Jovi and Dorothea Bongiovi have been together since high school. When they were both students at Sayreville War Memorial High School in New Jersey, the rock star met the woman who would become his wife. They didn’t get married for nine years. In 1989, when Bon Jovi’s fame peaked, they secretly married in Las Vegas.
After that, they had four kids: a girl named Stephanie and three boys named Jesse, Jacob, and Romeo. Together with Dorothea, Bon Jovi started the JBJ Soul Foundation in 2006. Since then, they’ve opened three pay-what-you-can restaurants in the U.S.
People often want to know how they’ve been able to stay together for so long. “We like each other a lot.” “Let’s hang out,” Bon Jovi told People in 2020. “I always said I could see potential in people too.” “I have a gift,” Dorothea said.
Jon Bon Jovi and Dorothea Bongiovi have been together since they met in high school and have done many good things together.
1980: Dorothea Bongiovi and Jon Bon Jovi meet
Bon Jovi and Dorothea first met when they were in high school. In 2020, he told PEOPLE, “She let me cheat on her in history.” “I was immediately drawn to her from the minute I saw her, and that never changed.”
Jon Bon Jovi And Dorothea Bongiovi Got Married On April 29, 1989.
Source: Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection | Alt Text: JBJWith Dorothea
Dorothea and Bon Jovi hit it off right away in high school, but they didn’t get married for nine years. They broke up briefly in 1985, and Diane Lane later talked about her five-month relationship with Bon Jovi on Watch What Happens Live. In the end, he and Dorothea made up.
In 1989, they married in Las Vegas while his band was having a great time. “The album and single were both No. 1s, and we played three nights at the Forum in L.A.,” he told Men’s Health in 2010. “I told Dorothea, ‘I have an idea.'” “Why don’t we leave now?” ‘You’re crazy,’ she told him. I told them, “Come on.” “What’s better than this right now?” So we ran away to Las Vegas. Not a soul knew.”
Jon Bon Jovi And Dorothea Bongiovi had a Daughter Named Stephanie On May 31, 1993.
Source: Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection | Alt Text: JBJ With Dorothea
Dorothea and Jon Bon Jovi had their first child, Stephanie Rose, on May 31, 1993, in Red Bank, New Jersey. They are very protective of their kids and have worked hard to keep them out of the public eye. That being said, Stephanie joined her dad on stage when she was seven years old to sing “I’ve Got The Girl,” she did it again at one of his Las Vegas shows in 2017.
Jon Bon Jovi And Dorothea Bongiovi Had A Son Named Jesse On February 19, 1995.
On February 19, 1995, they had a son named Jesse James Louis. Jesse would go on to play football at the University of Notre Dame and, with his dad, start their water line in 2018 called Hampton Water.
Jacob was Born To Jon Bon Jovi And Dorothea Bongiovi On May 7, 2002.
Source: Matt Carasella/Patrick Mcmullan | Alt Text: JBJ and Dorothea
On May 7, 2002, Bon Jovi and Dorothea had their second boy, Jacob “Jake” Hurley. The singer of “Livin’ on a Prayer” almost missed the birth.
For the show on May 6 in New Orleans, Bon Jovi had fans figure out how to call the rock star’s hotel room. He hung up the phone, so Dorothea couldn’t reach him when she called in the middle of the night to say her water broke. Luckily, Bon Jovi’s tour manager woke him up to tell him the news. He then took a private plane back to Monmouth County, New Jersey, and arrived just in time for Jake to give birth.
According to his Instagram page, Jake is now trying to make a living as an actress. He is also engaged to Millie Bobby Brown, who plays Eleven on Stranger Things.
Jon Bon Jovi And Dorothea Bongiovi had a Son Named Romeo On March 29, 2004.
Their fourth child, Romeo Jon, was born on March 29, 2004, in New Jersey. Two years ago, Bon Jovi told PEOPLE about having a child. “You think you’re in love when you’re a kid, and you meet your wife and get married, but you know you’re in love after you have a child,” he stated.
The JBJ Soul Foundation Is Started By Jon Bon Jovi And Dorothea Bongiovi In 2006.
Source: Kmazur/Wireimage | Alt Text: JBJ With Dorothea together
The JBJ Soul Foundation was started by Bon Jovi and Dorothea in 2006. Its goal is “to break the cycle of hunger, poverty, and homelessness.” The group began by fixing up 15 homes in Philadelphia. Eventually, they started working with Habitat for Humanity to build and fix up homes all over the United States.
The Soul Foundation has built more than 500 modest living units and opened three Soul Kitchen restaurants run by volunteers since it began. “Pay-if-you-can” places let people who can pay for a meal pay for people who can’t. This idea came from Dorothea. She told PEOPLE, “We have been so lucky and blessed.” “To see people not being able to feed their families is just not acceptable.”
October 5, 2010: Jon Bon Jovi Talks About His Marriage To Dorothea Bongiovi.
Source: JEWEL SAMAD/AFP | Alt Text: JBJ With Dorothea at a bar
Bon Jovi told Men’s Health that his wife Dorothea’s kindness and support are the main reasons he and Dorothea have been married for so long. “I’m not a saint, and I never have been a saint,” he told the news source. “I missed a lot of school plays and birthdays. Dorothy has been in it the whole time.” The woman knows what it means. “This is my life, and it is what it is.”
In November 2012, Jon Bon Jovi And Dorothea Bongiovi Helped Their Daughter Get Through A Drug Overdose.
Stephanie Bon Jovi, Bon Jovi, and Dorothea’s oldest child, called her dad from the hospital in 2012 to say that she had overdosed on drugs. Stephanie was 17. Stephanie got better, and the drug charges against her were dropped. But both Bon Jovi and his wife were scared by what happened.
“It was a terrible moment,” the musician told The Daily Mirror later. “It was the worst time for me as a dad.” She said, “I’m fine” at first, but then she said, “This is what happened.” You get up, shake it off, put your shoes on, and say, “Okay, I’m going home.””
Jon Bon Jovi And Dorothea Bongiovi Go To A Gala At Kensington Palace With Their Kids On November 26, 2013.
Source: Wireimage | Alt Text: JBJ With Dorothea at an event
After a few months, Bon Jovi, Dorothea, and three of their children went to Kensington Palace for the Winter Whites Gala. A charity called Centrepoint raised money for the event, and the family got to spend time with Prince William and his family.
Jon Bon Jovi And Dorothea Bongiovi Say They “Grew Equally” On November 3, 2016.
People often ask Bon Jovi and Dorothea what it takes to stay together for a long time. “Somehow it works,” Dorothea told PEOPLE in November 2016. We grow at the same rate. We both developed at the same rate, not in different directions.
“She’s the glue,” Bon Jovi said. I have all these crazy ideas, and things are flying everywhere. The seams are all coming apart. She’s following me around with glue, thread, and a needle to keep everything together.
April 13, 2018: Jon Bon Jovi And Dorothea Bongiovi Go To The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony.
Source: Wireimage | Alt Text: JBJ With Dorothea and another woman
When Bon Jovi joined the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018, they had been together for 35 years. The singer’s whole family came to show their support. In April 2018, Jon Bon Jovi and Dorothea Bongiovi enjoyed the wine launch of their son Jesse.
The rosé that Bon Jovi and his son Jesse made in 2018 is called Hampton Water. It comes from a farm in the south of France. “Being in a band is like having a family.” “But it’s a whole other thing when you work with your family,” Bon Jovi said after the brand’s start. “When we walk into meetings together, I think, ‘Wow, it’s Mini-Me.'” He has the same thoughts as me. “It was all a dream.” The following year, Bon Jovi and Dorothea enjoyed the launch of Hampton Water in Los Angeles with their son.
Jon Bon Jovi Says Fans Were Mad When He Married Dorothea Bongiovi On October 29, 2018.
After he and Dorothea married, Bon Jovi said his fans were upset. This was just before his 30th wedding anniversary. “It was like Justin Timberlake or Harry Styles getting married,” he told The Mirror. “That’s how I was to young girls back then.” My boss was very angry when I got back from Vegas. He said, “America’s boy is now married—that’s not a good move for your career.” The record company felt the same way.
On September 30, 2020: “Mutual Respect” Is What Keeps Jon Bon Jovi And Dorothea Bongiovi Together.
Source: DAVID M.BENETT/CENTREPOINT/GETTY | Alt Text: JBJ With his family
Bon Jovi talked about his relationship with Dorothea and what makes it possible after 40 years of being together. What’s their secret? It was “mutual respect,” he said. “Having grown up together and become adults together. We like each other a lot. “Let’s hang out.”
Jon Bon Jovi And Dorothea Bongiovi Will Have Been Married For 32 Years On April 29, 2021.
Bon Jovi paid a moving tribute to Dorothea on their 32nd wedding anniversary. He wrote next to a black-and-white picture of their Las Vegas wedding, “If I got one thing right back in high school, it was falling in love with this girl.” “Happy 32nd anniversary, honey.” The sweet post also had an old video of the two hugging.
Jon Bon Jovi Celebrated The Birthday Of Dorothea Bongiovi On September 29, 2021.
In September 2021, Bon Jovi wished Dorothea a happy birthday on Instagram. One picture was of the couple hugging, and the other was of their family on the red carpet. “Happy birthday to THE LOVE OF MY LIFE,” he wrote under the picture.
Jon Bon Jovi posted a message to Honor Dorothea Bongiovi on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2022.
Source: DIMITRIOS KAMBOURIS/GETTY | Alt Text: Dorothea and JBJ
Bon Jovi loved his wife even more on Valentine’s Day the next year. He put up an old black-and-white picture of the happy pair on a motorcycle and wrote, “My forever Valentine.”
May 2, 2023: Dorothea Bongiovi Talks About How She First Thought Jon Bon Jovi Was A Great Musician.
Source: JEFF KRAVITZ/FILMMAGIC | Alt Text: JBJ At Induction
Bon Jovi and Dorothea were on SiriusXM’s The Howard Stern Show. During the show, Dorothea talked about her and Jonathan’s 34th wedding anniversary and the beginning of their relationship. She said that her husband was “100%” the cutest guy in high school, but she also said that even though she “knew he played in a band,” she wasn’t impressed until she heard him play.
She told her husband, “I remember being amazed you could sing.” “He was very good.” However, not everyone in Bon Jovi’s life was sold on her singing dreams.
“That was the family’s response,” Bon Jovi joked to Stern about how Dorothea’s family didn’t like the idea of her dating someone whose job goals were uncertain.”That was everyone’s answer,” Dorothea said. I remember hearing a story, and I told them, “Well, my boyfriend’s gonna be a rock star.” They laughed and said, “Good luck with that.”
Tennis fans Dorothea Bongiovi and Jon Bon Jovi go to Wimbledon on July 8, 2023.
Source: THEO WARGO/GETTY | Alt Text: JBJ With Dorothea
On the sixth day of Wimbledon, the rock star and his wife were seen in the crowd. Bon Jovi dressed in all black, while Dorothea wore a bright dress with a white hat. The couple sat next to Today’s Savannah Guthrie during one of the games.
Dorothea Bongiovi backs Jon Bon Jovi at the MusiCares Person of the Year event on February 2, 2024.
Bon Jovi was praised for his charitable work at the 2024 MusiCares Person of the Year event in Los Angeles. Dorothea went with him. Their daughter Stephanie also came to the event with them.
