News

Shot Through the Heart! Locklear, Sambora to Divorce

After 11 years of shared hat-wearing and wedded bliss, actress Heather Locklear has filed for divorce from rocker hubby and Bon Jovi right-hand man Richie Sambora.

The official reason cited, inevitably, was "irreconcilable differences." While Locklear's publicist declined any comment beyond the requisite "this is a private matter," the media has found plenty of people willing to speculate on the reasons behind the union's demise. As usual, tabloids had been buzzing about the pending split well before the couple acknowledged it. According to a New York Daily News report in December, Locklear had become too high-maintenance for Sambora, who was also denied his wish of having a second child (the couple has one daughter together, 8-year-old Ava Elizabeth). Allegedly, Sambora's bandmates were also irked by Locklear's behavior --apparently once you step on Jon Bon's toes, your time in the Bon Jovi family is soon to end.

"I think people need a class in how to be married," Locklear said prophetically in a Redbook cover story in 2001, "so that you're not getting divorced or whatever." In the same article, she said that Sambora provided a spark in their marriage with frequent "long-winded but very nice" love letters, which she repaid with sexual favors.

This marks the second divorce for Locklear, who was previously married to Motley Crüe drummer and pinup-hunter Tommy Lee. It was the first marriage for Sambora, the co-writer of such Bon Jovi hits as "I'll Be There For You," "Livin' On A Prayer," and, appropriately, "You Give Love A Bad Name."

-- The ARTISTdirect Staff
02.03.06