Jon Bon Jovi’s Take On His Marriage Has Us Looking At Him Sideways

Jon Bon Jovi met his wife, Dorothea Hurley, when they were teenagers, and bar a brief split when the former dated Diane Lane, they’ve been together ever since. However, 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 being the most faithful rock star to date. In fact, back in 2016, he mentioned in an interview with Belfast Telegraph that his loyalty was one of the things he was proudest of. However, in 2024, he revealed in an interview with Independent that he’d cheated on Hurley while on the road at some point during their marriage.

Though he didn’t go into detail, Bon Jovi admitted that a good portion of his and Hurley’s success as a couple came from the latter forgiving his indiscretions. Granted, he also pointed out that he’d owned up to what he did — and as many people may remember, he did indeed acknowledge having affairs on the road in his 1993 hit “Bed of Roses.” Speaking of his willingness to tell Hurley the truth, he told The Independent, “It’s about never lying about having been a saint.” Snaps for honesty, we guess, but we’re not sure that we love that take.

Jon Bon Jovi’s indiscretions might not have been that bad

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Jon Bon Jovi didn’t just mention that he’d been honest with Dorothea Hurley about his, ahem, lapses in judgment. In the same interview, he also told The Independent that none of his indiscretions had been bad enough to destroy their decades-long marriage. We’re not exactly sure what that means, except that it once again points to Hurley being an exceptionally understanding woman.

Of course, there is a chance Bon Jovi’s indiscretions really weren’t full-blown affairs or much to write home about. After all, in a 2010 interview with Men’s Health, he spoke about being pretty averse to the idea of side chicks and affairs. “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,” he told the outlet.

Granted, in the same interview, Bon Jovi once again pointed out that he didn’t always have the greatest track record. “I’m not a saint, and I have not been a saint,” he confessed. However, he added that Hurley was well aware of that, and that she had been from the get-go. However, she still chose to stand by him.

Jon Bon Jovi and Dorothea Hurley are super happy

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As much as we may side-eye the fact that Jon Bon Jovi’s take on marriage and cheating, at the end of the day, this is one very loved-up couple — and that’s not just a false narrative Bon Jovi himself has painted. In fact, Dorothea Hurley herself has spoken about their marriage being founded on respect for one another.

Back in 2020, Hurley and Bon Jovi spoke to People about what’s helped them become one of the longest-lasting Hollywood couples, especially when so many other rock star relationships (or even non-celebrity ones, as Hurley pointed out) ended. “I think if you can grow together and have the same kind of values and, you know, and respect for each other, then I think that you can survive it,” Hurley mused.

As for the philandering on tours that could possibly have broken down some of that mutual respect, it’s pretty clear those days are behind Bon Jovi. 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,” he quipped. Side eye aside, it’s clear Bon Jovi and Hurley are super committed to their marriage, and we love that for them.