Rock star status is unequivocally conferred onto Jon Bon Jovi. The rock band Bon Jovi, which he joined in 1983 and for which he is best known as a vocalist, composer, and guitarist, first came together. Since that time, he and his band have published 15 studio albums, and he has also released some songs under his own name. In addition to that, he has established himself as an actor by participating in a number of films and television series throughout the course of his career.
Even while it is abundantly evident that Jon have a great deal of aptitude in the arts, he also possesses a heart of gold. In 2006, he established The Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, an organization whose mission is to alleviate poverty and homelessness in the United States via charitable giving and advocacy. Jon has also shown that he has a true passion for sports, and he was even the previous majority owner of the Philadelphia Soul, which competes in the Arena Football League. In addition to that, he came perilously close to having a stake in the National Football League franchise known as the Buffalo Bills.
On the other hand, Jon’s romantic history is only one more thing that makes this celebrity so appealing. In 1989, when Bon Jovi was on their “The New Jersey Syndicate Tour,” Jon Bon Jovi and his high school girlfriend Dorothea Bongiovi (née Hurley) sneaked off to Las Vegas together. This took place during the band’s stay in Los Angeles. There, the couple ran away together and haven’t been seen or heard from since.
However, when they originally exchanged their vows more than three decades ago, this celebrity marriage made in heaven was met with a great deal of criticism. They have, to everyone’s relief, managed to maintain their relationship throughout it all. Jon and his amazing wife have been together for the last 34 years, and he has never once had a moment of second thought about their decision to elope.
The odds were stacked against Jon and his wife Dorothea from the beginning of their relationship, when they eloped to Las Vegas on April 29, 1989, until they established a philanthropic foundation together. According to Men’s Health, Jon and Dorothea had a whirlwind romance that began in high school and continued until Bon Jovi achieved unprecedented levels of fame, at which point Jon expressed an impulsive desire to propose to Dorothea.
After 32 years of marriage, which took place at the Graceland Wedding Chapel under the officiant of an Elvis impersonator, the pair is still going strong and is more in love than they have ever been. “We make it work,” Dorothea said in an interview with PEOPLE.
On the other hand, not everyone was as ecstatic with their pledge to be together for life. Jon’s career was flourishing, but once he got married, his admirers felt they had less of a connection to him since he was no longer accessible to fulfill their need for an attractive musician. Jon shared his experience, “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,'” she remembered him saying. The record label was saddened by the news as well.'”
Despite this, Jon has never once second-guessed his choice to tie the knot with his high school crush. He reflected on his life and remarked, “The marriage turned out to be the best business decision I’ve ever made.”
Thankfully, Bon Jovi kept having tremendous success together, and Jon kept having success in his solo ventures as well. Both of these things happened simultaneously. Dorothea does not seem to be bothered by the fact that Jon has a large number of female admirers who drool over him.
“I think it’s great that they love the music,” she remarked. “I think it’s wonderful.” They are really devoted fans that adore the band. Concerts by Bon Jovi are something Dorothea often goes to see. “During his concerts, you can usually find me standing off to the side and watching,” she told People. “When you hear the songs on stage, they’re even better than they sound on record!”
The happy pair has created a wonderful life for themselves together. They are the parents of four children: one girl, Stephanie Bongiovi, and three boys, Jesse, Jacob, and Romeo Bongiovi. Stephanie is the only daughter. In addition to this, Jon and his wife are the directors of a number of different philanthropic organizations. According to TODAY, the pair works together at their two Soul Kitchen restaurants, which help give hot meals to those who are in need, and The Jon Bon Jovi Foundation, which focuses on affordable housing. Both of these organizations aid those in need.
How exactly do Jon and Dorothea manage Jon’s demanding work, their successful foundation, and the demands of parenting four children? According to an article published in TODAY, Jon believes that Dorothea is the reason why him and Dorothea have such a happy and fulfilling marriage.
He referred to her as the “glue” in the group. “I’m the crazy visionary with all kinds of things flying, and the seams are splitting,” she said. She is the one who is following me about with the glue, the thread, and the needle, and she is the one who is holding everything together. Dorothea was regarded by Jon as being the brains behind the successful operation of the Soul Kitchen and the charities. He laughed and said, “My wife does all of the work, but I get all of the credit.”
Jon and Dorothea have remained steadfastly at one another’s sides all the way through the highs and lows that have occurred along the route. Jon said, “I don’t have a mistress on the side of another family across town,” and he meant it. “There is no way in hell that you are going to read that piece about me. I have no respect for that way of life in its entirety.
At this point in time, the pair is a shining example of what a happy and fruitful marriage in Hollywood should look like, and their union is still going strong. “Somehow, I became the poster boy for a long-married rock star,” Jon recalled. “I have no idea how that happened.” “But because I’m in such a good mood, I’ll gladly take on the mantle.”
He also disclosed to People that “mutual respect” was the key to their everlasting love. This was an important part of their relationship. Having spent their childhoods and young adulthoods together. And we have a lot of affection for one another. We’d want to get together and chill.
It is apparent that Jon has broken the pattern of a typical rock star with his happy marriage that has lasted for a long time and in which he takes a lot of pleasure. Even being placed in quarantine during the epidemic was an enjoyable experience for him.
“For around one month, our whole family was together… According to what he shared with People, “We spent more time in that house than we have in over a decade.”
Dorothea said, during the same interview, that their “focus has always been family first and making sure that people are doing well.” We have a friendly relationship. It was good that we were able to spend a lot of time together, which is more time than we had spent together in a number of years.
It is quite evident that Jon and Dorothea have established a benchmark with their own connection and fashioned a positive illustration of which their children are capable of becoming inspired.
We put in a lot of effort, but we have fun together, and we’ve never been fooled by the superficial benefits that come with being famous. Over the course of our lives, we have seen this occur to individuals who were near to us as well as others who we knew on a more distant level. It’s just what I do; it doesn’t define who I am at all. I am a songwriter. It just so happens that I am highly skilled in carrying them out. “That sums it up,” remarked Jon.
The parenting style of Jon and Dorothea has undoubtedly contributed to the emotionally healthy development of their kids into mature individuals. The following is an excerpt from another interview that Dorothea gave to People: “We never really drag the kids to things.” Never once did I point at the television and exclaim, “There he is, Daddy!” We work very hard in order to provide a regular life for our children… We make it a priority to have supper together as a family as often as we can. The needs of one’s family come first.