Jon Bon Jovi has celebrated his 36th wedding anniversary with his wife Dorothea Bongiovi after he made a blunt cheating confession last year.
The Livin’ On A Prayer hitmaker, 63, posted their celebrations on social media in the form of 36 roses for 36 ‘amazing years’.
He also shared a throwback photo of the pair looking young and in love alongside a picture of their wedding venue, Graceland Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas, where they tied the knot in 1989.
Jon and Dorothea met in high school and married nine years later. While they briefly broke up in 1985, in which time the rocker dated actor Diane Lane, they quickly found each other again.
While their relationship is long-lasting, the It’s My Life hitmaker admitted in an interview last year that he ‘got away with murder’ in his younger years when he was ‘no saint’.
The musician made the frank comments while speaking on the ABC special, Michael Strahan x Jon Bon Jovi: Halfway There.
Reflecting on Jon’s stratospheric success, host Michael, 52, remarked: ‘It had to be tough on a relationship. You’re young…’
‘That’s nonsense,’ Jon interjected. ‘I got away with murder.’
He continued: ‘I’m a rock and roll star. I’m not a saint. I’m not saying that there weren’t 100 girls in my life. I’m Jon Bon Jovi. It was pretty good.
‘But if you think I’m ever going to jeopardise anything for believing the narcissist in me was real? What a stupid thing to do.
‘What kind of excess does a man need that’s going to fuel that fire? It’s just not worth it.’
In April 2020, Bon Jovi told People their secret to a long-lasting partnership was ‘mutual respect’.
‘Having grown up together and grown together. And we really like each other. We want to hang out,’ he said.
In 2010 he reflected on the moment they decided to marry in an interview with Men’s Health.
‘We had the No. 1 album, the No. 1 single, and we were playing three nights at the Forum in L.A.,’ he told the publication.
‘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 pair went on to welcome four children together – Stephanie, 31, Jesse, 30, Romeo, 21, and Millie Bobby Brown’s new husband Jake, 22.
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Jon previously spoke to The Independent about the ‘wonderful clichés of rock stardom’.
Elaborating, he continued: ‘It’s about never lying about having been a saint, but not being a fool enough to [mess up] the home life, either.’
In November, Jon was asked to elaborate on his previous comments in a podcast episode of Just for Variety with Variety journalist Marc Malkin.
‘You’re honest about being a rockstar, that you’ve got a lot of women in your life. Girls, as you call them,’ said Marc, asking: ‘Were your family surprised at how honest you were? Did your wife know you were going to be that honest?’
After a pause, Jon answered: ‘It was based on an old article many years ago, it would be a lie if you said you were a saint. It was the 80s for god’s sake. I’m still that guy. Did a girl ever throw herself at me? F**k yes, I’m Jon Bon Jovi.
‘But did I ever, ever, ever consider anything that would jeopardise my relationship with my wife who I’ve always been madly in love with? F**k no. But she would tell, me, “Of course you were a moron.”‘
He continued: ‘Yesterday was our 35th wedding anniversary. We’re madly in love more every day, I’m ecstatic being in love with her.
‘So we’ve been together 44 years. I wouldn’t jeopardise a lick of that. I’m the luckiest guy in the universe.’
Mark pressed: ‘The stories that are getting picked up are making it sound like you cheated on her left and right?’
‘Even if I did I was 20, I was 30, this wasn’t yesterday,’ Jon replied, adding: ‘It was a decade or so in my youth.’
When asked what he got Dorothea for their 35th anniversary, Jon revealed with a chuckle he’d got her flowers and a book it turned out ‘she’s already read’.
The rocker added: ‘We don’t have to outdo things with presents and stuff because every day there’s such deep gratitude. Watching TV together, sitting on the couch and making a cup of tea, she knows how grateful I am.’
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