Meet Jon Bon Jovi's Four Children

Jon Bon Jovi leaves his rock star persona at the door when he comes home to the four kids he shares with his wife, Dorothea Bongiovi. In fact, when he spoke to People in 2016, he revealed that his kids weren't afraid to politely turn down opportunities to watch him live in concert. Likewise, Dorothea shared that she strived to create normalcy for their kids and never made them painfully aware that their dad was a big deal in music.

When Jon appeared on "The School of Greatness" podcast in 2024, he shared that he was ready to take a more relaxed approach to his career after raking up tons of success and a stunning net worth. In his new era of life, the singer-songwriter didn't want to focus on his professional accomplishments, and instead wanted to feel a sense of pride in knowing that his children were making a positive change in the world. Then, host Lewis Howes asked the "You Give Love A Bad Name" singer to share how fatherhood changed his perspective on life. 

He gave a brutally honest answer by saying that it made him realize, "You don't know s***." The iconic singer shared that raising four kids kept him on his toes because just when he started to get comfortable with one, they would enter a new era in their lives and completely change the parenting game. Ultimately, though, the rocker found the wild ride of raising his four kids — Stephanie, Jesse, Jake, and Romeo Bongiovi — to be an incredibly rewarding experience. 

Jon Bon Jovi and Dorothea Bongiovi's eldest daughter, Stephanie Rose Bongiovi, was born on May 31, 1993. Speaking to The Big Issue, the rocker admitted that he felt mixed emotions after welcoming his baby girl. The happiness of first-time fatherhood brought loads of fear, anxiety, and all-around chaos, but the scary feelings eased after a while. Nearly two decades later, he felt similarly lost when his 19-year-old daughter overdosed on heroin. Thankfully, she survived.

In a 2013 Daily Mirror interview, Jon recalled that he learned of the overdose when Stephanie called him in the middle of the night to break the news and labeled the call his "worst moment as a father." On the contrary, the singer-songwriter chronicled some of his happiest moments as a dad through his 2000 track "I've Got the Girl." In 2017, Stephanie stepped out on stage to perform the song with her dad for the second time, the first being when she was seven. 

Amidst the performance, Jon shared, "Everybody's got a little girl in their life," he continued. "[...] And they start out as little bitty babies and their future's looking bright. And I wrote this song for that little baby, who's now not such a little baby anymore" (via People). Speaking on ABC's "Good Morning America" in 2024, Jon shared that he had written the song "Kiss The Bride" for Stephanie's wedding. However, he noted that he may not be able to perform it during her nuptials because he would be overcome with emotions.

Jon Bon Jovi and Dorothea Bongiovi's first son, Jesse Bongiovi, was born on February 19, 1995. While attending the University of Notre Dame to study political science, he played on their football team, the Fighting Irish. About a year after wrapping up college, Jesse and Jon started a rosé company called Hampton Water. When the pair sat down for an interview with extraTV in 2018, the "Livin' On A Prayer" hitmaker jokingly noted that his son was his "boss," and he addressed him as such during calls. 

Meanwhile, Jesse shared that he first approached his dad with only the business' name, but he wanted him to have a more concrete idea. So, Jesse did loads of research to understand the market better and presented Jon with a detailed plan that convinced him to hop on board. The Grammy-winner seemed pleased with his decision, as he shared, "Everyone always says that being in a band is like having a family, but doing it with your family and sitting next to your son is just a joy," he continued. "This has been a smile-fest for me." 

Jesse seemingly has an equally joyous personal life. In August 2022, he took to Instagram to share that he had popped the question to his partner, Jesse Light. The happy couple reportedly tied the knot in May 2024 in Las Vegas. According to People, the twosome had their nuptials in the same chapel that Jon and Dorothea eloped in over 30 years ago.

Jacob "Jake" Bongiovi was born on May 7, 2002. In February 2020, Jon Bon Jovi proudly took to Instagram to share that Jake had been accepted into Syracuse University, but it's hard to know if he actually enrolled. What's clear, however, is that he made his feature-length acting debut by starring in the 2024 film "Rock Bottom." While Jake keeps a relatively low profile, he's always happy to share glimpses of his life with his partner, Millie Bobby Brown. 

During the "Stranger Things" star's WIRED interview, she shared that her paths crossed with her beau on Instagram. She also revealed that they were friends for a bit before realizing they had deeper feelings. Brown and Jake took a big relationship step in November 2021 by going Instagram official. Then, in April 2023, the pair got engaged in a sweet underwater proposal that left Brown floundering.

Speaking to The Sunday Times in 2024, Jon shared that he was happy about their engagement and further asserted, "I've gotten to know her in the last year, she works really hard, and she and Jake will grow together in their own way. In May 2024, The Sun reported that Brown and Jake had married in a private ceremony that only saw the attendance of their nearest and dearest. The insider claimed that the pair were also "legally married." The couple seemingly confirmed the rumors in June by sharing an Instagram photo of Brown wearing denim shorts with "Wifey" printed on the back.

Jon Bon Jovi and Dorothea Bongiovi's youngest child, Romeo Jon Bongiovi, was born on March 29, 2004. In his younger years, Romeo was a regular at his dad's red carpet events. However, as he grew older, he didn't seem too interested in the spotlight anymore and chose to accompany his dad to more lowkey events. In a further bid to avoid unnecessary attention, Romeo also doesn't seem to have any social media, at least not public accounts. Thankfully, the "Always" singer offered us an update on Romeo through an Instagram post celebrating his 17th birthday. 

The sweet snap showed him wearing a Nirvana shirt with his arm draped around his mom. Speaking to People in 2020, Jon and Dorothea shared that although they cherished every moment they had spent with their children, they loved the idea of becoming empty nesters after Romeo graduated high school. "Just not being stuck to a schedule and being able to travel [will be nice]. But we like to see our kids. It's not like we're going to disappear," Dorothea explained. 

While Jon was admittedly flustered after welcoming his firstborn, he realized that parenting only got easier as time went by and he had more children. In his Big Issue interview, Jon revealed that parenting his fourth child was far less stressful, and even joked, "Of course by the time you get to the fourth baby, you're dragging it into the parking lot by its arm, saying, 'Whatever. Strap yourself in, you'll be fine.'"