Jon Bon Jovi's 30-Years Marriage Is Proof High-School Romances Can Turn Into Love Of A Lifetime

Jun 17, 2021

Jon Bon Jovi and his wife Dorothea Bongiovi, née Hurley, give love a good name. 

Although Jon Bon Jovi is known for his powerful rock anthems and moving ballads (and, at times, big hairdos), he's also one-half of one of showbiz's greatest and long-lasting romance stories.

The Bon Jovi frontman, singer, and songwriter has been with his wife Dorothea for more than forty years, and the happy couple celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary back in 2019.

The couple's story is considered one of the most heartwarming romances in the entertainment industry. In 2020, Bon Jovi spoke in depth about his long-lasting relationship and how he and his partner have only grown closer over time.

In the admittedly sometimes wild world of rock and roll, few couples have withstood the test of time like these two. The former high school sweethearts met when they were 18 and stayed together for an amount of time that is frankly an uncommon feat for any modern couple, let alone for an iconic rockstar like Jon Bon Jovi. But thanks to a relationship built on respect and shared values, their bond has grown stronger against all odds. It's not surprising that, when asked what his secret to their long relationship is, Jon's go-to answers are mutual respect and hard work.

This endearing couple's love story started all the way back in 1980 when Jon and Dorothea met in high school. Jon had been playing music for five years as a teenager already and had been in several bands which used to perform around the New Jersey area. 

The adorable pair met for the first time in 1980 when they shared the same history class in high school. At the time, Dorothea was actually dating a friend of Bon Jovi's. They did not immediately start going out.

"I was doing nothing to help my studies along," Bon Jovi later recalled, according to Fame10. "It started with just trying to look over her shoulder at test answers, to making small talk."

After Dorothea's boyfriend decided to enlist in the Navy, however, things started to change between the pair, and Jon didn't wait that long before he made his move. "He left town, and hey, you know the five-second rule when you drop a piece of toast on the ground? I gave him three weeks. We started dating, and that was the end of that," he admitted.

The couple had a few ups and downs, as all couples do, and finally got married in 1989. However, at the time, nobody knew what they had done! In a spur-of-the-moment decision, Jon asked Dorothea to elope with him and get married in Las Vegas. Speaking to Best Life, Jon revealed: 

"It was 1989 and our album New Jersey was out. We had the No. 1 album, the No. 1 single, and we were playing three nights at the Forum in L.A. We were staying at the St. James's Club, which is that beautiful art deco hotel on the Sunset Strip across from the old Hyatt House. I pulled the curtain back in my room, and there's a billboard of me staring right back.

I turned to Dorothea and said, 'I got an idea. Why don't we go right now?' She said, 'You're out of your mind." I said, "Come on. What's better than this, right now, this moment?'"

And so they went. Jon recounted how they took off immediately, just the two of them, on a little shuttle plane and then took a cab in Las Vegas to find a church. They told none of their friends or Jon's fellow band members  — their cab driver became their witness!

Although some people might call this an ominous beginning, the couple's marriage has held steady for over thirty years. So many years later, the pair, both 58 years old now, have grown even closer because of their not-so rock-and-roll marriage and close-knit family consisting of their four kids, daughter Stephanie, 27, and sons Jesse, 25, Jacob, 18, and Romeo, 16.

When asked what their secret was, the couple told PEOPLE magazine: ″Mutual respect,″ Jon said. ″Having grown up together and grown together. And we really like each other. We want to hang out.″

Dorothea added: ″I always said I was good at spotting potential too. I have a gift."

Jon certainly thinks she is a gift to him. As he told the New York Post, "She's the muse for all the syrupy ballads I write. It's obvious. I try to relate it without being too saccharine. Yeah, it definitely comes out in the songs." 

Jon has earned a lot of titles over the long course of his life, but being called a doting husband is the one he cherishes the most. He has been quoted as having said:

"Somehow I became the poster boy for a long-married rock star. But I'll accept the mantle because I'm so happy."

What do you think about Jon Bon Jovi's and Dorothea Bongiovi's long marriage? Have you been with your partner for just as long and do you have different tips for couples? Tell us about your relationship tips and pass this along to friends and family!