After almost a decade of dating, Jon Bon Jovi and Dorothea Hurley decided to tie the knot in a surprise wedding ceremony that caught many off guard.
The rock music legend admitted that the decision to elope “shocked a lot of people”, but it was a moment they wanted to cherish for themselves.
Dorothea Hurley-Bongiovi, born on September 29, 1962, is not just Jon Bon Jovi’s wife, but also an American karate instructor and restauranteur from Middlesex County, New Jersey.
Together with Jon, they co-founded the JBJ Soul Foundation and JBJ Soul Kitchen, which aim to give back to the community. JBJ Soul Kitchen has locations in Red Bank and Newark in New Jersey.
Jon and Dorothea first exchanged vows in a spontaneous Las Vegas wedding ceremony back on April 29, 1989. Despite the surprising nature of the event, the couple has managed to stay happily married for over 35 years.
In an interview with People, Jon Bon Jovi shared, “We work hard at it [marriage], but we enjoy each other and we never fell for the trappings of what celebrity can do. It’s just what I do, it’s not who I am.”
The couple first met at Sayreville War Memorial High School and it was love at first sight. They started dating in 1980 and eventually decided to make their relationship official through marriage. Together, they have four children – Stephanie, Jesse, Jake, and Romeo.
Their son Jake is engaged to Stranger Things actress Millie Bobby Brown, making their family life just as interesting as Jon’s rockstar career. Despite the challenges that come with being in the public eye, Jon and Dorothea have managed to prioritize their relationship and family above all else.
