Jon Bon Jovi Made A Sad Confession About His Marriage

Jon Bon Jovi has been a rock 'n' roll icon ever since his band, Bon Jovi, first broke into the Billboard charts in the 1980s with blockbuster hit singles "You Give Love a Bad Name," "Wanted Dead or Alive" and "Living on a Prayer," all of which remain classics of the stadium rock genre. As one of the most important rock bands of the '80s, Bon Jovi's popularity has rarely faded, with hit songs and lucrative world tours continuing to the present day.

And down the years the band's leading man has remained one of stadium rock's biggest heartthrobs, attracting millions of diehard fans thanks to his model good looks and mass of blond hair, which has remained his trademark well into middle age. The music business is notorious for charismatic rock stars indulging in countless affairs and hook-ups with fans, groupies, and admirers. But surely Bon Jovi, one of rock music's nice guys who has been happily married for the majority of his career, isn't like that?

Well, according to comments in interviews going back years, he hasn't been entirely faithful to his wife, and remains somewhat unapologetic for his transgressions. As he told the Irish Examiner back in 2006: "Rock has this destructive image and there's a lot of hedonism to be had, but it's great. I've had my fun, trust me. I haven't been a saint — I've had my lapses with other women, sure. Welcome to the music business." Nevertheless, his marriage is still going strong. So what's the story?

Jon Bon Jovi first met his wife, Dorothea Hurley, way back in 1980, when the pair were just teenagers in high school. The rocker recalled to People in 2020 that he first fell for Hurley after she let him copy her work during a history exam. They have been together ever since.

In 1989, the couple eloped to Las Vegas where they tied the knot. At the time Bon Jovi as a band was at its commercial peak and sat atop both the album and single charts, with a packed itinerary of headline shows. Jon Bon Jovi told the Mirror that marriage shocked his management, who wanted the frontman to remain single on paper to maintain the interest of the many fans who had the hots for him.

Since then, the couple have had four children together: Stephanie, Jesse, Jacob, and Romeo, all born between 1993 and 2004. Though the pair have made frequent public appearances together, Bon Jovi told People they reject many of the trappings that come with fame. In 2006, they set up a charity, the JBJ Soul Foundation, a nonprofit focusing on developing affordable housing in Philadelphia. The foundation also runs three restaurants in the state where those on low income can eat for free.

There have never been any salacious tabloid stories concerning Jon Bon Jovi's specific affairs. Nevertheless, the rocker has openly implied in interviews that he has not remained faithful to his wife during his four decades as a rock icon. The subject comes up in his music too: Bon Jovi's 1993 single "Bed of Roses" is a ballad written from the point of view of a musician cheating on his partner with a "mistress."

Nobody wants to hear that their spouse has been unfaithful, nor can it be in any way pleasant to have such information in the public domain for the whole world to know. But Bon Jovi claims that the secret to his successful marriage to Dorothea Hurley — a relationship that has persisted for more than four decades — is to be honest with your partner. "It's about never lying about having been a saint, but not being a fool enough to f*** up the home life, either," he told the Independent.

More than that, he told People that he and Dorothea have "mutual respect. "Having grown up together and grown together. And we really like each other. We want to hang out." They celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary in 2024.