Renowned singer, songwriter, and guitarist Jon Bon Jovi has managed to keep his family life relatively private despite his celebrity status.
Married to his high school sweetheart, Dorothea, for over 30 years, the couple has four children together: Jesse, 28, Romeo Jon, 19, Stephanie Rose, 30, and Jake, 21.Their heartwarming relationship has spanned more than four decades. Let’s take a look at their sweet love story.
Jon and Dorothea (now both 61) tied the knot on April 29, 1989, just as Jon was rising to fame with the number one album New Jersey and a chart-topping single. The proposal happened spontaneously when Jon suggested eloping during their stay at the St. James Club, he told Men’s Health in 2010. Despite initially being rather reluctant, Dorothea eventually agreed, and they got married at the Graceland Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas.Jon Bon Jovi and Dorothea pictured in 1985. Credit: Vinnie Zuffante / Getty.
While news of any marriage is usually met with excitement and happiness, this wasn’t necessarily the case when Jon and Dorothea got hitched. In fact, many of Jon’s fans were upset, because they couldn’t seem to fathom the idea that their idol was no longer a single man. Even Jon’s manager disapproved, considering it a career misstep. However, the newlyweds stood firm and stayed committed to each other.
“America wasn’t happy on that Monday when they found out about the wedding, and a lot of people tried to ruin a beautiful thing. They tried to cheat us out of that moment,” Jon told The Mirror in 2018.