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Jon Bon Jovi’s Wife Was Born to Be His Baby! Get to Know the Singer’s Spouse Dorothea Hurley

Famous Families

Updated on: May 17, 2024 4:47 pm·

By Kelly Braun and Alyssa Norwin

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Jon Bon Jovi was shot through the heart with Cupid’s arrow when he met his longtime wife, Dorothea Hurley, more than four decades ago. Since then, the iconic “Livin’ on a Prayer” singer has been living a life of bliss with his high school sweetheart.

Jon and Dorothea first met in high school in 1980. The two grew up in Sayreville, New Jersey, where they attended Sayreville War Memorial High School and had a class together. Even though Dorothea was dating a fellow student, that didn’t stop Jon from pursuing his future wife.

In 1989, they tied the knot. Throughout the next few years, they started their family when they welcomed their daughter, Stephanie Bongiovi, followed by son Jesse Bongiovi. They later became the parents of sons Jacob Bongiovi and Romeo Bongiovi.

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How They Got Together

“Dorothea was going out with one of those guys who joined the service. He left town … and you know the five-second rule when you drop a piece of toast on the ground? I gave him three weeks,” Jon jokingly told Best Life in 2017. “We started dating, and that was the end of that.”

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They Eloped

In an April 2024 interview, Jon opened up about eloping with Dorothea in Las Vegas.

“We were in Los Angeles, California, the band was on the road on the New Jersey tour, and if you opened up the curtains of my hotel room, there’s a big billboard of the five of us staring into my window,” Bon Jovi recalled to People. “My girlfriend, who was my fiancée at the time, we had a night off, and I said, ‘I need a higher high — I got an idea. Let’s go to Vegas now.’ And she said, ‘Now?’ I said, ‘Now.’”

The pair’s taxi driver was their witness at the wedding.

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She’s Talented

She may be the wife of one of music’s most iconic rockers, but Dorothea is quite talented herself. According to reports, she is a karate instructor who has a fourth-degree black belt.

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Dorothea is a Doting Mom

Dorothea became a mom for the first time when she gave birth to the couple’s eldest daughter, Stephanie, on May 31, 1993. Less than two years later, they welcomed their eldest son, Jesse, on February 19, 1995.

Quite some time passed before the lovebirds expanded their brood with the birth of son Jacob on May 7, 2002. Two years later, they completed their family with the arrival of son Romeo on March 29, 2004.

Considering the Grammy winner has an extremely busy schedule due to his Hollywood career, he couldn’t be more grateful to have Dorothea as the mother of his children.

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She’s Living a Lavish Life

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Jon is worth over $410 million as of 2024. Although it’s unclear how much is Dorothea’s, there’s no doubt she’s benefiting from their family’s massive fortune.

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They Make Their Marriage Work

After more than 40 years together, it’s no surprise Jon and Dorothea have a secret to making their relationship last so long. “Mutual respect,” he told People. “Having grown up together and grown together. And we really like each other. We want to hang out.”

During a previous interview, the New Year’s Eve actor echoed his sweet sentiments when he credited their “growth” for being a huge reason they remain so strong. “We grew equally and not in opposite directions,” he gushed to the outlet in 2016.

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Dorothea is the ‘Glue’ to Their Family

Even though Jon is the “crazy visionary” of the two, he said he couldn’t bring his dreams to life without his stunning spouse. “She’s the one following me with the glue and the thread and needle, keeping it all together,” he told People.

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He ‘Wasn’t a Saint’

Jon admittedly wasn’t always the best husband to Dorothea, but said they were able to make their marriage work because of good communication.

“I’m a rock ‘n’ roll star. I’m not a saint,” he told ABC News in April 2024. “I’m not saying that there weren’t 100 girls in my life. I’m Jon Bon Jovi. It was pretty good!”