They gave love a good name: These adorable ’80s photos of Jon Bon Jovi and his wife

Jon Bon Jovi is a world-famous rock star, but when it comes to his personal life, he’s always stayed down to earth. The Bon Jovi frontman has been married to his high school sweetheart, Dorothea, since 1989, and they’re still going strong.

“We work hard at it, but we enjoy each other and we never fell for the trappings of what celebrity can do,” Jon told People in 2020, explaining how he and Dorothea have lasted for the better part of four decades. “We’ve witnessed that happen over the years to people that were close to us and people that we knew from afar. It’s just what I do, it’s not who I am. I write songs. I happen to be very good at performing them. That’s it.”

Jon also credits Dorothea for keeping him sane during the turmoil of bandmate Richie Sambora’s exit from Bon Jovi and a battle with his record label. “It was a very, very difficult time that I haven’t fully rebounded from yet but my wife has been phenomenal,” he told The Mirror in 2016. “Without her, I am not sure how I would have coped. … ​​She is very wise. She gave me four great kids and I didn’t f–k up. I did it right the first time, and she is great and undyingly loyal.”

Keep reading for everything to know about Jon Bon Jovi’s wife, Dorothea Bongiovi.

Who is Jon Bon Jovi married to?

Jon Bon Jovi is married to Dorothea Bongiovi (née Hurley), whom he met in high school. A junior karate champion, Dorothea worked as a karate instructor before cofounding a restaurant with her husband. Dorothea also works with the JBJ Soul Foundation, a charity she cofounded with Jon that helps provide housing support and meals in New Jersey.

“We really like each other. We want to hang out,” Jon told People in 2020, explaining the secret to his and Dorothea’s long-lasting romance, adding that “mutual respect” is important as well.

How did Jon Bon Jovi meet his wife?

Jon and Dorothea met in 1980 as students at Sayreville War Memorial High School in New Jersey. According to Jon, Dorothea let him cheat off her work in history class. “I was immediately drawn to her from the minute I saw her and that never changed,” he told People in 2020.

The duo dated off and on throughout the 1980s. During one of their splits, Jon briefly dated Diane Lane, but he ultimately reunited with Dorothea, and they tied the knot in 1989.

In 2023, Dorothea said that her husband was “100 percent” the cutest guy in school. “He was a rock star,” she told Howard Stern, adding that she’d known he was in a band but wasn’t impressed until she heard him perform. “I just remember being impressed that you could sing,” she joked to her husband.

When did Jon Bon Jovi and Dorothea Bongiovi get married?

Jon and Dorothea exchanged vows on April 29, 1989, in Las Vegas while Bon Jovi the band was in the middle of the New Jersey Syndicate tour. “We had the No. 1 album, the No. 1 single, and we were playing three nights at the Forum in L.A.,” Jon told Men’s Health in 2010. “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 we ran off to Las Vegas. Didn’t tell a soul.”

The couple went on to welcome four children: daughter Stephanie Rose (born in 1993) and sons Jesse (born in 1995), Jake (born in 2002), and Romeo Jon (born in 2004).

How old is Jon Bon Jovi’s wife?

Born on Sept. 29, 1962, Dorothea Bongiovi is 61 as of April 2024. Her husband was born on March 2 of the same year, making him nearly seven months older than her.

How long have Jon Bon Jovi and his wife been together?

Jon and Dorothea will celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary in 2024. In 2010, Jon credited the longevity of their marriage to the fact that Dorothea has been with him since before he was famous.

“I’ve been in one of the biggest rock bands in the world for 25 years, and I’m not a saint, and I have not been a saint. And, Christ, I missed tons of birthdays and school plays,” he told Men’s Health. “But it’s not like Dorothea came in halfway through the movie and didn’t know who she got and the divorce settlement is this because of that. She’s been in it the whole game. She understands what it means. It’s my life, and it is what it is.”