Jon Bon Jovi decided to elope with his high school sweetheart Dorothea, and at the time, the rock & roll heartthrob faced a lot of heated criticism from fans. Thankfully, things worked out for the best.
In 1980, Jon met Dorthea Hurley in New Jersey while the two attended Sayreville War Memorial High School. According to reports, the pair first met when the future rockstar tried to cheat off her History test.
In September 2020, Jon confessed to People magazine that he was drawn to his wife the first time he saw her. Hurley also mentioned that she was pretty good when it came to spotting the potential in people.
However, at the time, Jon’s future love interest was in a relationship with his best friend, Bobby.
A couple of years later, the singer and Doretha were still friends and began dating in their 20s. However, it did not take long before they knew they had found their soulmate and decided to make it official.
The two were only 18 when they first met, and by that time, Jon had already begun a flourishing music career as a local artist in a band called Atlantic City Expressway, starting at age 16.
The young man would later join “Jon Bongiovi and the Wild Ones, ” and then, at age 17, he started “Rest.”
Jon also worked at his cousin Tony’s recording studio, Avatar Studios, where he would sweep floors.
In their 20s, Jon Bon Jovi was beginning to gain traction as a major rock star, and as the years went by, he would enjoy two number one albums along with millions of new fans worldwide.
He had also become a heartthrob featured on posters that hung on the walls of his most devoted fans. By this time, Jon and Dorthea had been together for several years, but they had not married.
When the two finally did tie the knot, it’s said many of his female fans were absolutely heartbroken. Many described the backlash to how fans reacted when Justin Timberlake married or when Harry Styles started dating Olivia Wilde. Jon Bon Jovi had such a powerful effect on his young female fans that they could not bear the idea he was no longer single.
It was 1989 when Jon made Dorthea his wife, while he held a number one album and single and was playing three sold-out shows in Los Angeles at the Forum. On that fateful night, he was with Dorthea at the St. James Club when he opened the curtain to their room.
And that’s when he suddenly asked his girlfriend if she wanted to get married right then and there. While Dorthea thought he was crazy, Jon convinced her it was the right moment.
The couple drove to Las Vegas and eloped. They didn’t even have wedding rings to exchange! The ceremony took place at the Graceland Wedding Chapel in tribute to Jon’s hero Elvis Presley.
At the time, Jon was 27, and Dorthea was 26. After returning from Vegas, Jon’s manager was furious and said it was a terrible move for his career.
The record company was also not too pleased, and Jon’s mom was also not happy with her son. But, by 2016, the couple had been married for 27 blissful years, and recently they celebrated their 32nd wedding Anniversary.
You can also watch a People interview with the happy couple in which they discuss their incredible relationship below.
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Sources:
- “Heartthrob Bon Jovi Faced A Lot Of Criticism When He Eloped With His Highschool Sweetheart At The Peak of His Career” Apost.