Jon Bon Jovi Faced Criticism after He Eloped with Highschool Sweetheart at the Peak of His Career

Jon Bon Jovi met his future wife, Dorothea, in a very unconventional way while attending high school. He was so smitten that he eloped with her and was judged harshly for his choice, but things worked out for the best.

Dorothea Hurley met Jon Bon Jovi in Parlin, New Jersey, while attending Sayreville War Memorial High School in 1980. According to reports, the first meeting was when the musician tried to cheat during a History test by looking at her work.

In September 2020, the artist confessed to People magazine that he was drawn to Hurley the minute he laid eyes on her. Hurley tooted her own horn saying she was good at spotting potential in people.

She described her abilities as a "gift" and thought Jovi was cute before joking about being shallow. However, at the time, Jovi's love interest was in a relationship with his best friend, Bobby.

For a couple of years, the singer and Hurley remained friends and only started dating in their 20s. It didn't take long for the couple to realize they were in love and to make things official.

HOW JON AND DOROTHEA ENDED UP MARRIED

Jovi and Hurley were only eighteen when they first met. At the first meeting, the singer established a local music career with a band called "Atlantic City Expressway" from age 16.

He later joined "Jon Bongiovi and the Wild Ones," and when he was 17, "Rest" was his band. Besides his music, Jovi also worked at his cousin Tony's recording studio, Power Station, known as Avatar Studios, where he swept floors.

On the other hand, Hurley was crowned junior martial arts champion in high school. She and Jovi ended up best friends and spent time together over the following years before their relationship evolved in their early 20s after Bobby went to the military.

By then, the artist had already formed the band Jon Bon Jovi and was starting to gain traction as a household name. As the years went by, the musician became a success with chart-topping singles, two number one albums, and millions of fans worldwide.

However, even though they'd been together for several years at that point, the couple didn't marry. In the 1980s, Jovi was so famous that his female fans were left distraught when he finally married.

He described how fans reacted when Justin Timberlake got married or when Harry Styles became steady with Olivia Wilde. Jovi said he had the same effect on young girls as the two singers.

In 1989, Jovi made Hurley his wife suddenly while holding a number one album and single and playing three sold-out Los Angeles nights at the Forum. On that fateful day, he was stating with Hurley at the St. James Club when he opened the curtain to their room.

Outside was a billboard of himself, and he suddenly asked his girlfriend why they couldn't go right at that moment to get married. She thought he was crazy, but he told her nothing was better than that moment.

The couple agreed and eloped in Las Vegas even though they didn't have wedding rings to exchange! The ceremony was held late at night at the Graceland Wedding Chapel as an homage to Elvis Presley.

Jovi was 27, and his bride was 26 when they obtained their marriage license and were married by the Rev. George L. Cotton. When the couple returned from Vegas, his manager was quite upset and felt it wasn't a good move for his career.

The rock star's record company was also not pleased. Jovi's mother was also unimpressed with him, and some people in the US tried to sully the special milestone and cheat the newlyweds of their joy.

However, in 2016, the artist had been married to the love of his life for 27 years and showed no regrets about his decision. He's managed to be one of the few rock stars with a longtime marriage.

Even though in the 1980s, the world, especially his fans, saw him as a heartthrob, the big-haired star didn't see himself the same way. In September 2010, at age 48, Jovi confessed to People magazine:

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

JON'S CONTINUED MUSIC SUCCESS AND CHILDREN

In 2016, Jovi was still a big star with many fans, and his career was okay. Even though he had many female fans who swooned over him, his wife was never bothered and remained secure in their marriage.

Hurley shared with People that she thought it was "great" that the fans loved her husband's music. She liked that they loved Jovi's band and were still very loyal to them after all these years.

The "Livin' on a Prayer" musician and his wife welcomed four children over the years, with their first child, Stephanie, born in 1993. Almost two years later, the couple had Jesse in 1995, and in 2002 Jacob joined the family.

Their family was completed in 2004 when Romeo was welcomed. The eldest child appears to have been gifted with her father's singing capabilities, and in 2017, they performed a duet for the song "I've Got The Girl" during a concert.

In 2012, Stephanie's life seemed to go wrong when she was arrested for having illegal substances. At the time, she had a suspected overdose while attending Hamilton College.

The charges were dropped because of Kirkland, New York's laws, and the singer's child appeared to have taken up modeling. Jesse became a successful businessman and wine entrepreneur.

In March 2019, he and his father launched the company Hampton Water Wine Co. together. Jesse attended the South Bend's University of Notre Dame in Indiana, where he played football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

In 2018, Jacob made headlines after he assisted with organizing a national student walkout. The event was a protest against the government's response to school mass shootings after the Parkland, Florida incident.

In June 2020, Jovi's son graduated from high school and celebrated by posting an image of the occasion which featured his father. He's now a student at Syracuse University since starting in the fall of 2020.

In June 2021, he received attention again for his alleged relationship with actress Millie Bobby Brown. The duo never publicly confirmed their relationship, but they were spotted holding hands in public.

He's a football fan but enjoys modeling, golf, and being with his friends. Last but not least was Romeo, who has been seen with his parents on several occasions, and in 2021 he was in high school in Manhattan.

He [Jon Bon Jovi] once said he found women sexier as they aged and didn't approve of them using things like liposuction.

Jovi, a proud family man, might have a crowd of female admirers; however, he's never strayed in his marriage. The reason behind that was because the musician wasn't interested in the rock 'n roll lifestyle as he saw it for what it was.

KEEPING A SUCCESSFUL MARRIAGE

In September 2020, Jovi shared that the best ingredients for a successful marriage included "mutual respect." He also noted that growing up with his wife, liking each other, and wanting to hang out were the other secrets to their marriage.

In 2016 he told ET that he was just a lucky man who got it right the first time. The star credited Hurley for their successful marriage noting how she was the glue, thread, and needle that kept everything together.

Despite their various challenges over the years, the couple managed to remain faithful and by each other's side. The rock singer was happy in his marriage, proudly stating:

“Somehow, I became the poster boy for a long-married rock star. But I’ll accept the mantle because I’m so happy.”

He once said he found women sexier as they aged and disapproved of them using things like liposuction. Jovi was set and content to grow old with his wife and high school sweetheart!