⁠"There's no animosity": Jon Bon Jovi speaks on friendship with Richie Sambora, says they never had a fight

Jon Bon Jovi, the popular singer and guitarist, cleared the air and denied having any fight with former band member Richie Sambora. During the question and answer session at the screening of the series Thank You Goodnight: the Bon Jovi Story, the guitarist opened up about his friendship with Richie and about the band, Bon Jovi.

“He had some issues that he just couldn't wrap his head around and he wanted to be home more than he wanted to be on the road, but you got to show up for work. So there's no animosity. An integral part of my story for three of the four chapters was my right-hand man, asked to join my band and I was lucky to have met him. But life went on,” said Jon Bon Jovi.

He also spoke about the two never fighting, contrary to the many rumors and fan speculations as many claimed that Richie left the band due to a feud between him and Bon Jovi.

“There was never a fight. There was substance abuse, there was anxiety, there was being a single parent, there was a lot of personal issues he was going through. But never to this day did any of us, me or him or David [Brya] or Tico [Torres], ever have a fight,” he added.

The popular band Bon Jovi was formed in 1983 and currently has singer Jon Bon Jovi, keyboardist David Bryan, bassist Hugh McDonald, and other members like Tico Torres and Phil X. Initially, the band comprised members like Alec John Such, who left the band in 1994, and Richie Sambora, who also parted ways from Bon Jovi in the middle of their 2013 world tour.

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“I am not mad about it”: Jon Bon Jovi clears the air about his relationship with Richie Sambora

As Jon Bon Jovi gears up for the release of his docuseries, he made it clear that Richie’s exit from the band was purely his wish and due to his circumstances, and had nothing to do with Bon Jovi. During the interview, he stated that the fallout happened when he failed to show up for a few shows during their world tour.

However, he claimed that he had never been “mad about it.”

“It's unfortunate for us and for the world, but I am not mad about it. It was never about money, it was never about a girlfriend. He had issues, and he literally didn’t show up. We were playing for 20,000 people and there’s a black hole on the stage,” said Bon Jovi.

The New York Post reported that Bon Jovi spoke to Ultimate Classic Rock in March, and stated that he and Sambora have not been in contact as he had not been part of the band for a long time. However, he stated that his not being in the band anymore did not mean that there was no love between the two.

Ever since Sambora exited from the band in 2013, he has played only once with them, which was in 2018, at Bon Jovi’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. As per earlier reports from People, Richie has had drinking issues, involving getting arrested for drunk driving. The musician has also been in rehab multiple times, however, the last time he sought treatment was in 2011.

Jon Bon Jovi’s Thank You Goodnight: the Bon Jovi Story will air on Hulu from April 26, 2024. The docuseries will revolve around the band and its front-man, Jon Bon Jovi. The docuseries will also feature clips from the tours and interviews of existing band members and their families.