Jon Bon Jovi describes saving a life on Nashville bridge with Stephen Colbert at NJPAC

Save a life on a bridge?

“We’d all do the same,” said Jon Bon Jovi of his saving the life of a suicidal woman on a Nashville bridge last month. The rocker spoke publicly about the incident for the first time Saturday, Oct. 26 at the Montclair Film Festival’s “A Conversation with Stephen Colbert and Jon Bon Jovi” on the stage of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark.

Bon Jovi and a film crew were on the Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge in downtown Nashville on Sept. 11 shooting a music video when the woman readying to jump was spotted.

“All I can say is mental health is real and this lady, she was completely coherent, had all of her wits and she had said to me, ‘Look at me, I’m in paper scrubs with no shoes, no phone, no money, nowhere to go, they let me walk out of the hospital,’ “ Bon Jovi said “She said, ‘I am not suicidal or homicidal.”

“But in danger,” Colbert said.

(L-R) Stephen Colbert and Jon Bon Jovi take part in a conversation for an Evening during the 13th Annual Montclair Film Festival at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) on October 26, 2024 in Newark, New Jersey.

“Obviously on the wrong side of the rail — in a situation,” Bon Jovi said. “So all I know is the young lady who pointed it out as we were doing this video and I spoke with (the woman in distress), and then the wonderful police department, fire and emergency rescue came and a therapist came and talked to her and ultimately in their care taken to get some more help. But that’s all, I was just there.”

A video of the incident shows Bon Jovi embracing the women as he helps her climb back over the railing. The rocker’s actions were lauded by the Metro Nashville Police Department.

“It takes all of us to help keep each other safe,” said Chief John Drake on X.

Bon Jovi was filming a video for the “The People’s House” with the duo the War and Treaty on the bridge. The video was released as part of Bon Jovi’s endorsement of Kamala Haris for President of the United States.

The topic of politics didn’t come up on stage at NJPAC, but how Bon Jovi learned how to play the guitar, his car rides with fellow Jersey rocker Bruce Springsteen, and his band’s roots in Perth Amboy were also discussed.

Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora and David Bryan were all born in the city.

“You know who else is from Peth Amboy? “ Bon Jovi playfully asked Colbert. “Bugs Bunny.”

The plight of Bon Jovi’s voice was also discussed. The 62-year old Sayreville native has been battling atrophied vocal chords that has kept him from touring for two years. The issue was delved in to on the recent Hulu documentary, “Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story.”

(L-R) Stephen Colbert, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, and Jon Bon Jovi attend the 13th Annual Montclair Film Festival for an Evening at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) on October 26, 2024 in Newark, New Jersey.

“I think — I’m going to stop saying I think — I am turning the last corner,” said Bon Jovi to cheers. “We rehearse every month, we make the progress. I’m just not ever going out (on tour) unless its great … I work really hard, four days a week, two hours a day on therapy. Not till it’s right.”

“Sounds right, baby!” said a fan in the audience as Bon Jovi smiled.

The 13th annual Montclair Film Festival runs through Sunday, Oct. 27, and featured 130 films in four different venues, along with parties, panel discussions, and more. Colbert’s wife, Evelyn McGee-Colbert, is the president of the festival’s board of directors, and Colbert, host of CBS’ “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” is on the fest’s advisory board.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy introduced the proceedings at NJPAC on Saturday with a slightly PG-13 joke that referenced a recent risqué Donald Trump campaign speech.

“This is my fifth year doing this on stage — hard to believe. And thanks to Stephen’s pull we’ve brought an incredible who’s who of celebrities on this stage, just extraordinary,” Murphy said. “Thinking back to my first year, Arnold Palmer. Sorry, that’s a different speech. Just making sure you’re paying attention.”

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Chris Jordan, a Jersey Shore native, covers entertainment and features for the USA Today Network New Jersey. Contact him at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Bon Jovi talks saving a life on Nashville bridge with Colbert at NJPAC