Inside Jon Bon Jovi's Lavish Mansion He Shares with His Highschool Love of 42 Years & 4 Kids

Early in his teenage years, singer-songwriter Jon Bon Jovi knew that he wanted to be a rockstar. To make his dream a reality, he began spending time in local clubs for inspiration.

Guitarist Jon Bon Jovi was born in March 1962 in Perth, Amboy, New Jersey, to parents, former Marines, Carol and Bongiovi, a hairdresser.

In his early teen years, young Bon Jovi started hanging out at local clubs. He knew from a young age that he aspired to be a rock star one day and was convinced being at clubs would be his first start in pursuing his career.

The "Pay It Forward" actor idolized rising stars such as the Asbury Jukes and Bruce Springsteen. By the time he was sixteen, he was playing in clubs. The "It's My Life" singer formed the band Bon Jovi, in the 1980s, which became a sensation.

Bon Jovi and his former high schoolmate, keyboardist David Bryan formed a ten-piece rhythm and blues band called Atlantic City Expressway. He later performed with bands such as The Lechers, The Rest, and the Wild Ones.

BON JOVI MET HIS WIFE UNCONVENTIONALLY

Bon Jovi met the love of his life, Dorothea Hurley, at Sayreville War Memorial High School in Parlin, New Jersey. The duo first met when the singer attempted to cheat on a test by peeking at her work.

He spoke about his immediate attraction to his future wife. The Bon Jovi frontman told People in September 2020 that it never changed after being together for decades:

"I was immediately drawn to her from the minute I saw her, and that's never changed."

Hurley was dating his best friend, Bobby, when they met. So, they spent much time together as friends for a few years and did not begin a relationship until they were in their mid-twenties.

Bon Jovi revealed Hurley allowed him to cheat off her in history. She gushed about that rebellious deed, joking she was good at spotting people with potential:

"I always said I was good at spotting potential too. I have a gift, 'his rock.' He's cute. I'm shallow. I'll admit it!"

HOW BON JOVI BECAME SUCCESSFUL

Bon Jovi and band members Bryan, bassist Alec John Such, guitarist Richie Sambora, and drummer Tico Torres became household names during his courtship with Hurley.

The group gained global success in 1986 with their album, Slippery When Wet, which went gold and platinum at the same time within weeks of its release. With hit songs like "Wanted Dead or Alive, and "Livin' on a Prayer," the album sold 14 million copies.

All this time, Hurley and Bon Jovi dated for nine years. But that all changed when the songwriter played a three-night residency at Los Angeles' The Forum in 1989.

The pair made their relationship official when they spontaneously tied the knot at Sin City's Graceland Wedding Chapel. During a stop in Los Angeles on Bon Jovi's 'The New Jersey Syndicate Tour,' they took a trip to Los Vegas and secretly exchanged wedding vows.

The lovebirds were married by the Rev. George L. Cotton, the Clark County recorder's office. An operator of the Graceland Chapel, Gordon Wilson, revealed Bon Jovi and Hurley insisted on getting married there because of the name "Graceland."

The mentioned chapel was named after Memphis, Tennessee, the home of the legendary Elvis Presley, dubbed the "King of Rock n Roll."

Seeing that it was unconventional, the couple had no rings to wear for their heat of the moment ceremony. While they were on cloud nine for elopement at the time, the duo faced backlash from Bon Jovi's female fans, including his manager.

When he recounted that period, the music star mentioned being the heartthrob of entertainment, and he compared himself to One Direction's Harry Styles and the renowned Justin Timberlake:

"It was like Harry Styles or Justin Timberlake getting married. I was that to the young girls in my time. When I came back from Vegas, my manager was furious. He was like, 'America's boy is now married. That's not a good career move.'"

Bon Jovi added his record company also did not take the news well. In addition, his mother was not happy about his decision to get married.

HURLEY WAS NEVER FAZED BY HER SPOUSE'S FEMALE FANS

Above all, his wife had been his biggest supporter throughout his career, even when he was every girl's dream man. Hurley told People in 2016 that female fans adored her husband because they loved his music and were loyal :

"I think it's great they love the music. They love the band and are so loyal."

With that said, Bon Jovi has managed to keep a clean image in terms of extra-marital affairs. He told MensHealth.com in October 2010 that he did not have a mistress: "I don't have a mistress on the side or another family across town."

Bon Jovi noted that such rumors about him would never make the news because he had no desire for that lifestyle. The "Always" singer revealed to People in November 2010 that being a rock star never went to his head:

"The cliché of the rock star was never me."

He also shared that he had never had any work done to his face and counted his most significant accomplishments, music and Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation.

Apart from that, the Hollywood star is a proud father of four. He and Hurley, a karate instructor, welcomed their eldest and only daughter, Stephanie, in May 1993.

Their oldest son, Jesse, arrived in February 1995, followed by a second son, Jacob, in May 2002. The youngest family member, son Romeo, was born in March 2004.

Bon Jovi and Hurley's daughter takes after her dad's singing ability. The father and daughter duo performed together during a concert in 2017, singing the song he penned for her called "I've Got The Girl."

However, Stephanie has had trouble with the law before. In 2012, she got apprehended for having substances after she allegedly overdosed in her dorm room at Hamilton College in Clinton, New York. A friend of hers also got arrested at the time.

But charges against the two, who were 19 and 21, were dropped. The Oneida County District Attorney's Office revealed the charges got dismissed because of a New York law that came into effect in September 2011.

The said law prohibits prosecution for people who experience an overdose, including people who assist them in seeking medical help. Stephanie got rushed to the hospital after the overdose, and later, other substances were found in her room.

Meanwhile, Bon Jovi and Hurley's second child Jesse also found success like his father but not musically. He is a businessman having ventured into the wine business as an entrepreneur.

Jesse attended the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, where he played football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. He graduated with a degree in Political Science and a minor in Economics.

Jesse launched his first business idea, the award-winning Hampton Water, with his dad in March 2019. The brand was named the top-ranked rose in Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2018.

The couple's third child, Jacob, graduated high school in June 2020 and celebrated the milestone by posting a photo in his graduation gown wearing the cap alongside his famous dad.

Months earlier, he revealed that he would be enrolling at Syracuse University in New York. Like his older brother, Jacob also likes playing football.

The youngster made headlines in 2018 when he helped organize a national student walkout to protest against the lack of the government's response to mass shootings.

Meanwhile, Hurley and Bon Jovi's youngest child, Romeo, has been spotted out and about with his father numerous times, but not much is known about him.

When the COVID-19 pandemic first hit in 2020 in NYC, Bon Jovi and Hurley left the city with their youngest son to shelter in their Red Bank, New Jersey. They later regrouped with their older kids, Jesse and Stephanie, but Jacob was away in boarding school.

BON JOVI AND HURLEY'S WATERSIDE CHATEAU

The couple owns a stunning mansion situated in New Jersey. The chateau is positioned on 15 acres of landscaped gardens and is 700ft away from the

frontage.

The stunning estate boasts 18,000 square feet and is a French-style inspired abode designed by New York-based architect Robert A.M Stern.

During the "Person to Person" program, Bon Jovi revealed to CBS that he and Hurley moved into the house in 1999. He took the cameras into his living space, where he showed the network a display of his family photos adorned on a large brown table.

When asked where the family watches television, Bon Jovi revealed a projector hidden behind a tapestry, and up from the wooden floors came a TV.

The blue-painted living room has yellow curtains with standalone lights around the walls, matching floral couches, and a rug. It also features a wood coffee table. The hallway is painted yellow and has white floors.

Bon Jovi's home office consists of a grand piano, a couch, armchairs, and gifts people gave him, including helmets. It features a console that hosts all his awards from over the years.

The limestone abode, surrounded by deciduous trees and grass, features two entry driveways, tall, expansive mullioned windows, French balconies, and wrought iron accents.

It is between the Atlantic Ocean and the Navesink River in the Navesink section of the Middletown community. Outdoors, Bon Jovi has a recording studio and a bar he calls The Shoe Inn.

THE SECRET TO BON JOVI AND HURLEY'S SUCCESSFUL MARRIAGE

The record producer has been married to his high school sweetheart for over four decades. He told People in September 2020 that the secret to their relationship was respect:

"Mutual respect. Having grown up together, and grown together. And we really like each other. We want to hang out."

The philanthropist mentioned that his beautiful wife was undoubtedly his pillar of strength. "We work hard at it, but we enjoy each other, and we never fell for the trappings of what celebrity can do," Bon Jovi said of his marriage.

He and Hurley witnessed what stardom can do, especially to people close to them and those they knew from afar. Bon Jovi said singing is what he does but is not who he is.

"It's just what I do. It's not who I am. I write songs. I happen to be very good at performing them. That's it," said the rock 'n roller. During an appearance on Entertainment Tonight in October 2016, Bon Jovi was asked his secret to a long-lasting marriage.

He mentioned how lucky he was to have found Hurley. "I'm just a lucky guy. I got it right the first time. It's that simple. And I wouldn't trade it," said the Hall of Famer.

Bon Jovi revealed to the Daily Mail in June 2007 that Hurley being independent, not being needy or possessive, was a bonus on his part. Hence he would not trade her for anything.