The Undeniable Red Flags In Millie Bobby Brown And Jake Bongiovi's Relationship

Millie Bobby Brown is listed among the most successful young actors of her time. Her acting career started when she was just 9, and she has since starred in some of Netflix's hit series and movies, including "Stranger Things" and "Enola Holmes." Although she experienced some rejection along the way, Brown's acting career continued to flourish throughout her childhood and early adulthood. Along with starting her career early, she's also found love at just 20 years old. In 2024, Brown married actor and model Jake Bongiovi — the son of musician Jon Bon Jovi. However, he was not her first industry beau.

Between 2017 and 2018, Brown was in a relationship with social media personality Jacob Sartorius. The two dated for about seven months before they announced their mutual breakup on Instagram. After Sartorius, Brown's next picks for boyfriends were David Beckham's son, Romeo Beckham, and then Joseph Robinson, from 2019 to 2020. Her relationship with Bongiovi came a year later, in 2021. 

Though the married couple remains happy, being in the spotlight leaves room for the public to see some undeniable red flags in their relationship, which Susan Trombetti, matchmaker and CEO of Exclusive Matchmaking, spoke to The List about in an exclusive interview. "When it comes to the impact of the Hollywood spotlight on anyone's relationship, it can't be good," Trombetti said about the couple. "Hollywood scrutiny is never a good thing." There are some anomalies in Brown and Bongiovi's relationship that have raised eyebrows, and we spoke to Trombetti for her expert opinion on them.

Rumors about a romance between Millie Bobby Brown and Jake Bongiovi began to circulate in June 2021 after Bongiovi shared a selfie of him and the "Stranger Things" actor in the back of a vehicle. The Instagram post was captioned "bff" with a heart. The two, however, didn't confirm they were officially dating until November 2021, when Brown shared a blurred photo of them on Instagram where Bongiovi was kissing her cheek. They spent Christmas together that year and continued to make public appearances together.

In April 2023, when the "Godzilla vs. King Kong" actor was 19, Bongiovi upgraded their relationship status by proposing. Brown shared a sweet black-and-white image of the two on her Instagram page, where she held onto Bongiovi's arm as he hugged her from the back, exposing her very gorgeous engagement ring, which fell into the sea during the water-based proposal. She captioned the photo, "I've loved you three summers now, honey, I want 'em all 🤍." Their engagement sent the internet into a frenzy, with many concerned that the actor was too young to take such a life-changing step. These concerns were valid since "Relationships in Hollywood go at warp speed and end prematurely," according to matchmaker Susan Trombetti. However, the public's distress was not enough to keep Brown and Bongiovi from doing exactly what they wanted. 

The two wed in a secret ceremony in the U.S. a year later in May. "It was a very low-key, romantic affair with their closest family with them as they said their vows," a source close to the couple told The Sun. They conducted a second ceremony later in 2024 at a villa in Italy, where her co-star from "Stranger Things" - Matthew Modine — officiated the wedding.

When Millie Bobby Brown and Jake Bongiovi tied the knot at their secret ceremony in May 2024, they were only 20 and 22 years old. This sparked concern from many fans who felt they were both too young to get married. Brown told Alex Cooper on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast that she knew she wanted to marry Bongiovi when their ideals on politics and parenting styles aligned. She further noted that both of their parents wed early, so their decision to get married did not seem strange. "We had really great role models growing up, so we didn't see any different. We didn't get jaded by all the other stuff, you know," the actor said.

Susan Trombetti told The List that Brown's point of view on early marriage is quite common in the described situation. "When it comes to marrying young, these are the family norms, and kids will model it, especially if it is successful for their families," Trombetti explained. "Jon Bon Jovi married very young and is still married to this day, so they see him as a great role model," the matchmaker continued while noting that the situation is the same in Brown's family.

Musician Jon Bon Jovi, Brown's father-in-law, expressed his full support of the couple's decision a month before they wed. "I've gotten to know [Brown] in the last year, she works really hard, and she and Jake will grow together in their own way," Bon Jovi told The Sunday Times. He added that he saw their relationship as "an accelerated version" of his own romantic journey and that the young couple would have the full support of their family with them. 

There are many celebrity couples whose marriage issues were prevalent in the media and eventually fell subject to divorce, including Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, and Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner. Susan Trombetti told The List that celebrity relationships in the Hollywood spotlight are often negatively impacted because of expectations and stressors. In Millie Bobby Brown and Jake Bongiovi's case, the matchmaker noted that since they live in Georgia near Brown's parents, the young couple can live in a reality that escapes Hollywood pressures.

Though Brown and her husband live outside of California, their careers make it a place and environment they frequent. But Trombetti says if the couple remains close to their family and friends while establishing and maintaining a strong foundation in their relationship, it will help keep them grounded while drowning out the pressures of Hollywood. "Being grounded is always good for your relationship because you have a safe space to come home to and a soft shoulder to lay your head on," she said.

The matchmaker further advised that they ignore negativity stemming from "naysayers" and should try to keep their lives private to limit the information outsiders will have on them. "Don't discuss your relationship and put it on constant display on social media," Trombetti said. "The less info you give the public, the less they can dissect and speculate." Brown and Bongiovi seem to be looking forward to planning a family soon. "I really want a big family," Brown said on the Smartless podcast in March 2025 (via People). "I'm one of four. He's one of four. So, it is definitely in our future." Although the young marriage and the pressures of the spotlight may be working against them, they still seem happy and optimistic.