Diehard Bon Jovi fans have cried a thousand rivers since Richie Sambora left the band in 2013. Despite popular belief, singer Jon Bon Jovi insisted that “there was never a fight” that led to the guitarist’s sudden departure.
By promoting the new Hulu docuseries Thank you, good night: the story of Bon Jovi, Bon Jovi opened up to Entertainment tonight about Sambora’s departure from the band more than a decade ago.
“There was never a fight,” he said. “It was never about money, it was never about a girlfriend. She had problems. She had a lot of problems that she had to deal with and she literally didn’t show up. “We were playing to 20,000 people and there was a black hole on the stage.”
Sambora, who co-wrote many of the band’s biggest hits, struggled with alcohol abuse which reportedly landed him in rehab several times throughout his career. He is also father to Ava Sambora, whom he shares with his ex-wife Heather Locklear.
“Substance abuse or anxieties or being a single parent, all those things weighed on him, losing his father. “These were all very difficult things,” Bon Jovi said. “But to be fair, why would he take away the livelihood of not only the band, but also the 120 members of the crew? Or the millions of people who bought a ticket? What I am going to do? Shut it down because you don’t want to go to rehab?
However, their relationship seems to be improving these days. Bon Jovi revealed that Sambora came to his house last year to watch the first three episodes of the docuseries, noting that Sambora’s on-screen apology was the first time he heard his former bandmate say he was sorry for the way he that he left
“You read, you talk to professionals, you sit with yourself, you learn to understand from a different perspective that their decisions weren’t made out of animosity either,” Bon Jovi said.
The rock star also added that he had “no creative control” over the editing of the docuseries, saying Eastern Time that he didn’t want a “piece of puff pastry.”
“When I look at some of the things that were said, and I may not agree with them, I was never going to discuss them,” he said. “Because that’s your truth.”
The leader formed Bon Jovi in 1983 with Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres and bassist Alec John Such, who left the band in 1994 and died in 2020 of a heart attack. Since then, Hugh McDonald took over on bass, while Phil X replaced Sambora on guitar.
Thank you, good night: the story of Bon Jovi premieres on Hulu on Friday, April 26.
