Jake Bongiovi's Parents Were High School Sweethearts: Inside Their Relationship

Jesse Bongiovi, Jake Bongiovi, Dorothea Hurley, Stephanie Bongiovi, and Jon Bon Jovi | Source: Getty Images

Jake Bongiovi's parents have been together for over 30 years. Jake Bongiovi was born to the legendary Jon Bon Jovi and his high school sweetheart, Dorothea Hurley.

Jake Bongiovi's name might ring a bell as he is one of Jon Bon Jovi's sons. The former has made headlines recently for his engagement to Millie Bobby Brown, which has also brought his parents' relationship into the spotlight.

Like their son, Jake Bongiovi's parents found love at a young age and have seen it stand the test of time despite his mother's family's reservations about her being in a relationship with an aspiring rock star.

Dorothea Hurley and Jon Bon Jovi at the Jackie Robinson Foundation Robie Awards Dinner on March 2, 2020, in New York City. | Source: Getty Images

Jake Bongiovi's Father Was 'Immediately Drawn' to His Mother

Jake's parents' relationship blossomed while they were in high school, and his father cheekily revealed he used to cheat off his wife in History class. During an interview, Jon shared that he was "immediately drawn" to Dorothea, and nothing has changed.

However, while Dorothea believed Jon would be a star one day, her family weren't the biggest fans of their relationship as they were skeptical of Jon's future as an aspiring artist. Dorothea revealed:

"I remember somebody told me a story, and I said, 'Well, my boyfriend's gonna be a rock star,' and they were like, 'Good luck with that.'"

Dorothea Hurley and Jon Bon Jovi at the Food Bank For New York City Can Do Awards Dinner Gala on April 21, 2015, in New York City. | Source: Getty Images

Jake Bongiovi's Parents Eloped in Las Vegas

Despite the skepticism of those around them, Jake's parents ran off to Las Vegas to tie the knot in the spur of the moment and have since celebrated over three decades of love. "I said, 'It's a day off; let's go to Vegas right now.' And she said, 'You're serious,' and I went, 'Yeah. Let's not tell anybody [...],'" Jon revealed.

Fast forward three decades and the couple has welcomed four children — whom they admitted to trying to shield from fame — and celebrated over 32 years of marriage.

In honor of their 32nd anniversary in 2021, Jon took to Instagram to share two throwbacks of him and his wife and captioned the post in part, "If I got one thing right back in high school, it was falling in love with this girl."

Jake's parents have also been working side by side doing charity work for years. "We both care about people, and when we see injustice or when we see people suffering — any human — you wanna try help people," Jake's mother shared.

Jake Bongiovi's Father's Thoughts on His Engagement at a Young Age

In April, Jake — whose father almost missed his birth — and actress Millie Bobby Brown turned to Instagram to announce their engagement. Jon and Doroethea's son was a month away from his 21st birthday when the young couple shared the news of their engagement, and the singer revealed how he truly felt about his son's engagement.

"I don't know if age matters if you find the right partner and you grow together. I think that would be my advice, really, would be growing together is wise. [...] Millie's wonderful; her whole family are great," Jon said.

ncG1vNJzZmimlazAb63MqKSapZFjsLC5jm1obm5ka3qrrcqeZJunnpy2sMLIrGSpmaKau7W%2FjLCcq51dnbaotIysmqGnn6F7qcDMpQ%3D%3D