Dorothea Hurley is a karate instructor and restaurateur from the United States. She is married to John Francis Bongiovi Jr., commonly known as Jon Bon Jovi, singer-songwriter and lead singer of the rock band Bon Jovi.
She grew up in New Jersey next to the future rock singer. Dorothea later dated his best friend, Bobby, so they started out as friends.
Dorothea eloped with Jon Bon Jovi and married him in Las Vegas in 1989 while the band was in Los Angeles on the New Jersey Syndicate Tour. They had four children together: a daughter and three sons.
Dorothea has always been a steadfast support to her rock star husband, and the two have been through some of the toughest times in their lives together, including when their daughter, Stephanie, overdosed on heroin.
Dorothea was a junior karate champion in high school and later became a coach in New Jersey. She also helped manage her husband’s restaurant chain.
File
- Full Name: Dorothea Hurley
- Occupation: Karate Instructor
- Popular for: Jon Bon Jovi’s wife
- Date of birth: September 29, 1962
- Place of birth: New Jersey
- Nationality: American
- School/College: Sayreville War Memorial High School in Parlin, New Jersey
- Estimated Net Worth: $3 Million
- Father: Donald Hurley
- Mother: Dorothy Pawlyk Hurley
- Husband: Jon Bon Jovi
- Children: Jesse Bongiovi, Romeo Jon Bongiovi, Stephanie Rose Bongiovi
Early life
Dorothea was born in New Jersey, United States on September 29, 1962, to Dorothy Pawlyk and Donald Hurley.
She attended Sayreville War Memorial High School in Parlin, New Jersey. When he tried to cheat by looking at her test paper on a school test, she met Bon Jovi, who had transferred there.
Jon Bon Jovi later stated that the song “Bobby’s Girl” was written for her and that he had loved her from the first time they met.
However, he didn’t act on it right away because she was dating his best friend, Bobby. They later became close and started dating before drifting apart again.
She revealed in 1999 that she was the fourth-highest green belt in karate in the United States. When her husband was featured in People magazine in 2002, she had achieved a fourth-degree black belt.
Career
Dorothea Hurley is a talented karate instructor in her hometown of New Jersey.
Additionally, she and her husband run the JBJ Soul Kitchen restaurant chain, where customers are encouraged to support the community by “repay by pre-purchasing food for the homeless.
Personal life
All of the band members, Bon Jovi, have turned down lucrative book deals based on their past experiences over the years. A multi-million dollar book deal was even offered to the entire band.
They said no to that too. Rich Bozzett, the band’s former manager, wrote a book about his experiences with the band called ‘Sex, Drugs, and Bon Jovi’ in 2010.
This has caused much debate. According to Bozzett, Jon Bon Jovi had a relationship with actress Diane Lane in the early 1980s, when Bon Jovi was rapidly becoming one of the most famous international rock groups.
Lane, on the other hand, began dating bandmate Richie Sambora. Lane and Jon Bon Jovi eventually broke up, and Dorothea and Jon Bon Jovi reconciled shortly after. Sambora remained a member of the band until 2013, when he left to pursue a solo career.
Jon Bon Jovi and Dorothea started dating again. He joined the New Jersey Syndicate tour in 1989.
They stopped in Los Angeles, where Dorothea and Jon Bon Jovi got married.
There were no family members or friends in the room. They didn’t even have an engagement ring. When the band, Jon Bon Jovi’s parents, and their then-manager, Doc McGhee, found out, they were furious.
Dorothea and Jon Bon Jovi have four children.
Stephanie called her father at 2 a.m. in November 2012 to report that she had overdosed on heroin at her Hamilton College dormitory.
She was later taken to hospital, where she recovered. Police did not arrest her or her partner, Ian Grant, because local laws prohibit prosecution for overdoses.
Following the incident, Jon Bon Jovi and Dorothea were criticized and labeled as bad parents. Dorothea said she prays that those who confront them will never have to endure what she and her family have endured.
Net worth
Dorothea is estimated to have a net worth of $3 million. She shares her musician husband’s net worth of $410 million with him.
Her husband’s restaurant business and karate instruction are her main sources of income. She has a happy, comfortable life with her husband and career.
Social media
- Instagram: @dorotheashurley
