Jon Bon Jovi admitted to some
indiscretions on tour . . . but nothing bad enough to mess up his
home life. How did that work, exactly? Jon Bon Jovi met his wife, Dorothea
Hurley, when they were teenagers, and aside from a brief split when the rocker dated
Diane Lane, they've been together ever since. "We finally ran away on a day off, and, uh,
went to Vegas and, you know, got married." That said, he's also admitted to cheating on
her in the past, and while it's pretty clear they got past the infidelity, we can't help but
look a little sideways at his commentary on it. Bon Jovi has long cultivated the image of
faithfulness. In 2016, he mentioned in an interview with the Belfast Telegraph that his
loyalty was one of the things about himself he was proudest of. However, in April 2024,
he revealed to the Independent that he had cheated on Hurley while on the road, because
that's just something rock stars do. He said, “These are all the wonderful clichés of
rock stardom. It’s about never lying about having been a saint, but not being a fool
enough to f--- up the home life, either.” Bon Jovi admitted that a good portion of
his and Hurley's success as a couple came from his wife forgiving his indiscretions.
He also pointed out that he'd owned up to his infidelities — he even did so in
song, in his 1993 hit "Bed of Roses." What's especially interesting about Bon
Jovi's comments is his characterization of his dalliances as not being bad enough to ruin his
marriage. We're not exactly sure what that means, except that it once again points to Hurley
being an exceptionally understanding woman. Based on his comments and those he's made
elsewhere, one could assume that Bon Jovi wasn't engaging in full-blown affairs, just
one-offs. In a 2010 interview with Men's Health, he spoke about being pretty averse to the idea
of having relationships on the side. He said, "I don't look at this week's hot starlet
and think about trading in or trading up. I don't have a mistress on the side
or another family across town. You're never going to read that story about me. I
have no regard for that whole lifestyle." Even so, Bon Jovi owned up to his
mistakes in that interview, too, even using very similar language
to describe himself. He confessed, "I'm not a saint, and I have not been a saint." The rocker added that Hurley was
well aware of that, and that she had been from the get-go. Even knowing all
that, she still chose to stand by him. As much as we may side-eye Jon Bon Jovi's take
on marriage and cheating, at the end of the day, this is one very loving couple — and that's not
just a false narrative Bon Jovi has painted. In fact, Hurley herself has spoken about their
marriage being founded on mutual respect. In 2020, the couple spoke to People about
what's helped their marriage become one of the longest-lasting in Hollywood, especially
when so many other rock star relationships, or as Hurley pointed out, plenty
of non-celebrity couplings, ended. "I think if you can grow together
and have the same kind of values…" "...and respect for each other,
then I think that you can…" "Certainly survive it." "Survive it." As for the on-the-road philandering that could
possibly have broken down some of that mutual respect, it's pretty clear those days are behind
the Bon Jovi frontman. In a 2016 interview with People, he shared that he actually hated touring
and preferred staying home with his family. "I go kicking and screaming. You
see my fingernails in the driveway." It's clear Bon Jovi and Hurley are super
committed to making their marriage work, and we love that for them.
