Who Is Jake Bongiovi? A Look At The Son Of Rock Legend Jon Bon Jovi
The following article includes brief references to a drug overdose and school shootings.
Some might say that Jake Bongiovi is set for life. After all, he is the son of Bon Jovi frontman Jon Bon Jovi. So, what is life like for the son of one of the most legendary rockers? It's a bit different than you might expect. Although his father's fame will likely always be attached to his name, Bongiovi is carving his own path.
The aspiring actor might be young, but he's already defining his future. In April 2023, he and girlfriend Millie Bobby Brown took to Instagram to seemingly announce an engagement. Brown shared a black-and-white photo of her and Bongiovi, in which she shows off what appears to be an engagement ring. In the pic, her rumored fiancé wraps his arms around her while she grins and is seemingly overwhelmed with emotion. "I've loved you three summers now, honey, I want 'em all," Brown captioned the photo, quoting lyrics from Taylor Swift's "Lover." Her "Stranger Things" co-star, Noah Schnapp, may have confirmed the possible engagement, because he took to the comments section to pen, "OH MY GOD CONGRATS."
Bongiovi also posted a set of romantic photos that may suggest an engagement. "Forever," he simply captioned the pics of him and Brown on a beach. But the aspiring actor's adorable relationship with the star is only one of the many fascinating elements of his life. So, who is Jake Bongiovi? Here is a look at the son of rock legend Jon Bon Jovi.
Jake Bongiovi doesn't plan to follow in his dad's footsteps
No, Jake Bongiovi didn't inherit his father's desire to pursue a career in music. It seems that the star is more interested in discovering his own passions instead. He opened up about making a name for himself outside of his rock-star dad's fame during an interview with Man About Town in 2022. Bongiovi was asked why he chose acting instead of music. "I think I'll leave that to my dad! There's really no following the act there," he responded. "There was always music playing in the house growing up, all different types of genres from all different types of worlds. But what spoke to me were the people on the screen, not the voices through the speakers."
Bongiovi also spoke more in-depth about why he was drawn to the film industry specifically. "I could just give you the most general answer ... I love movies," he said. "I love films. I grew up watching the greats. That's really a special connection that I had growing up with my dad, even, is how we'd watch movies all the time. Every weekend we'd watch a movie and it was the classics, like 'The Blues Brothers,' 'Animal House,' 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off.'" The star went on to share that he developed an interest in the artistic side of film as he grew up.
Acting aspirations aside, Bongiovi seems to also be interested in behind-the-scenes work because he mentions he is a producer in his Instagram bio.
His siblings are making a name for themselves as well
Jake Bongiovi has three siblings who are now all doing their own thing as adults. Surprisingly, none of them went on to pursue music. The siblings — Jesse, Stephanie, and Romeo Bongiovi — are living mostly quiet lives outside of the spotlight instead. Romeo is the youngest child and is seemingly the most low-key out of all of his siblings. We don't know much about Jesse outside of the fact that he graduated high school in Manhattan.
Jesse is the oldest boy of the family. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Government from the University of Notre Dame in 2017. The graduate went on to start his own wine company called Hampton Water, where his father lends a hand in running the business. They spoke about their vision for the company during the 2018 New York Wine Experience event (via Wine Spectator). "This is not a celebrity wine," Jon Bon Jovi said. "This is a fine wine, made with love and created with family." Jesse added, "We really wanted to create a wine that not only had a catchy name, and a label that stood out, but also had the complexity and structure to be taken seriously by the wine community."
Stephanie is a camera operator who has worked on popular shows like "Impractical Jokers." The entertainment industry professional previously made headlines in 2012 after she was arrested on drug-related charges following what officials believed to be a heroin overdose, per NBC News, though the charges were soon dropped.
If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
Jon Bon Jovi's son was accepted into Syracuse University
Although Jake Bongiovi was born into a wealthy family, much of his life has resembled that of the average American young adult. He played football as a student at Pennington High School in New Jersey. He was also accepted into Syracuse University in New York, according to an Instagram post shared by a Jon Bon Jovi fan page in 2020. In the accompanying photos, Bongiovi posed alongside his proud parents, Bon Jovi and Dorothea Hurley, in gear from the college at what appeared to be some kind of family celebration.
Bongiovi reportedly also shared a post about his Syracuse acceptance but later deleted it. He hasn't shared anything about college life since then, so there is a chance that he did not end up continuing his education at the university. Considering the fact that his acting career seems to be picking up, it looks as though the aspiring film star decided to put college on hold. In 2023, it was reported that Bongiovi only attended the school for a short time, apparently leaving after completing his freshman year.
Jake Bongiovi is quite the activist
Jake Bongiovi seems like an all-around great guy, so some might say it's no surprise that he is involved in activism. He actually began his journey as a kid when he made headlines for organizing a walkout at his high school. The then-teen staged the protest after the 2018 shooting at a Parkland, Florida high school. The walk-out was part of a larger nationwide protest. "It's enough," Bongiovi told NJ.com at the time. "It's happened too many times that we watch it. And we cannot let it go away this time."
Bongiovi and a friend managed to round up 400 students to join them on their mission of advocating for gun control laws to prevent school shootings, and they even had their high school's support. The duo may have also been inspired to organize the protest due to a likely frightening school lockdown they experienced just days before.
This walkout was not Bongiovi's first experience with activism, however. The then-high school student told NJ.com that he had also attended other protests such as Women's Marches in the past. He shared that his family also participated, so perhaps they inspired him to get involved with activism at such a young age.
If you have been impacted by incidents of mass violence, or are experiencing emotional distress related to incidents of mass violence, you can call or text Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990 for support.
The star has two acting projects on the way
Jake Bongiovi has yet to prove his acting skills, as of this writing, because he hasn't actually appeared in a movie or TV show ... yet. The aspiring actor was cast in hair band comedy "Rockbottom" in 2023. The film focuses on the short-lived fictional band CougarSnake. The group parted ways early on in their career due to creative differences, but their popularity surges after a new-generation musician mentions them in an interview. Jesse (Tom Everett Scott), who was once the band's bass player, is pressured by his daughter and her friend (respectively, McKaley Miller and Teala Dunn) to reassemble the band. Bongiovi takes on the role of Justin, who is CougarSnake's new lead singer.
Bongiovi was also cast as Kellan in the romantic comedy "Sweethearts" in 2022. He stars alongside Kiernan Shipka and Nico Hiraga. This flick follows two college students who plan to dump their high school sweethearts prior to Thanksgiving.
"At this point in my budding career, when I look at a script and read a script, I read everything as that person's way of telling their story," Bongiovi explained to Man About Town. "And if that's the high school jock or the shell-shocked marine, I always find that that expression is really what brings those characters to life." Of taking on the film industry, he noted, "Going out on these auditions and having the grit and the mindset to keep going, keep putting myself out there, is to try to be a part of that world."
Jake Bongiovi and Millie Bobby Brown might be soulmates
Of course, Jake Bongiovi is known for being Jon Bon Jovi's son, but he's also just as well-known for being Millie Bobby Brown's boyfriend. The pair began popping up on each other's Instagram accounts in 2021. Things seemed friendly at first but later it became clear that Brown and Bongiovi were not just friends but also a couple.
Brown revealed how she met her beau during WIRED's "Web's Most Searched Questions" interview in 2022. "We met on Instagram ... and we were friends for a bit, and then, what can I say?" the "Enola Holmes" star said. Bongiovi often shares photos of Brown on social media. He snapped an Instagram pic with the actor on her 18th birthday in 2022 and captioned the post, "Happy birthday barbie ily." The pair was apparently dressed as Barbie and Ken in the photo. He also shared a series of pics in honor of Brown's 19th birthday. "Another year around the sun together happy 19th to the girl of my dreams," Bongiovi wrote in the caption. "I love you more than words can describe. Everything about you is golden down to the core."
Bongiovi and Brown have been spotted out on quite a few dates over the years. In June 2022, for example, they attended a Harry Styles concert alongside Brown's "Stranger Things" co-star, Noah Schnapp. The pair documented the fun night on social media. As previously mentioned, the couple appeared to get engaged in April 2023, which only makes sense given their clear chemistry.