Fans have been livin’ on a prayer that Jon Bon Jovi and his band’s guitarist, Richie Sambora, would bury the hatchet for their 2026 tour.
But they were once again left disappointed when the first Bon Jovi dates in years were announced and Sambora, who last played with the New Jersey icons in 2013, was still excluded.
It seems the former bandmates’ 80s rock star egos are still clashing 12 years later.
“Jon doesn’t want Richie with him,” an insider told The Post.
“He’s jealous of Richie. He iced him out. But these are all his songs. With Bon Jovi – 65% of Bon Jovi’s sound is Richie’s,” the insider claimed, pointing to mega hits like “Livin’ on a Prayer;” “You Give Love a Bad Name;” and “Wanted Dead or Alive,” all co-written by Sambora.
Die-hard fans started posting “Where’s Richie?!” in the comments section of the announcement for the seven-date, “Forever” tour which kicks off in July 2026 at Madison Square Garden before making its way to the UK.
Sambora left the band hours before they were set to perform in Calgary, Canada, in 2013.
His ex-wife Heather Locklear, 64, had recently been hospitalized following consumption of a mix of alcohol and prescription pills. The ex-couple share a daughter, Ava, now 28.
“Family had to come first – and that’s what happened,” Sambora told People in 2020, and the insider confirmed: “Richie left the band to take care of his daughter.”
Bon Jovi has always been tight lipped over the fall out, telling Ultimate Classic Rock last March: “We’re not in contact because he’s not in the organization any longer.
“He just didn’t show up anymore. And there were emotional issues that he was dealing with as a single dad, and there was substance abuse issues.”
However, the insider claimed Jon had been battling his own steroid addiction around the same time.
“Jon was sticking a needle in his neck for 20 years. Even when he was burning out – he kept using it. He knew he had a problem in 2009,” they told The Post.
The singer became addicted to prednisone, according to the insider, which can be injected directly into the vocal cords for temporary relief from loss of vocal range and hoarseness.
Bon Jovi previously opened up about using steroids to help save his voice.
In an interview on “Inside The Actors Studio” from 2009, he revealed heavy touring in 1987 had led to burnout.
“I was dead tired — exhausted. And on top of that exhaustion I was having to sing [so] steroid shots had become like candy to me. They were just like, ‘bring it on, bring it on,’ until there was no voice left and I was still getting jacked up.”
“I don’t look back at that very fondly,” he admitted.
While Prednisone is not considered addictive like alcohol or opioids, it can cause dependence due to its impact on the body’s natural hormone production.
Reps for both Bon Jovi and Sambora did not respond to requests for comment.
More recently, Bon Jovi had major surgery in 2022 following the atrophy of one of his vocal cords, then underwent extensive rehab.
He explained in a recent interview with “TODAY” show anchor Savannah Guthrie that his stronger vocal cord was “pushing the weak one around,” and it was essentially “dying,” making it nearly impossible to hit the notes he’s been belting for decades.
“The road has been long. It’s been tough. But I persevered,” he told TODAY of his recovery, which entailed having a surgeon insert an implant on the outside of his vocal cords to make them stronger.
Jon and Sambora appeared separately in the four-part, 2024 Hulu docuseries, “Thank you, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story.”
The insider told The Post Sambora was amped on returning to the iconic rock band for the “Forever” tour, and claiming he even “hugged it out” with Jon during a meeting in Palm Beach, Florida, to discuss plans to reunite on tour.
“When Richie was walking out the door, Jon was like, ‘You’re not at 25% anymore, you’re at 10%,” the insider said of Richie’s earnings for the tour.
That apparently caused him to back out again. “[Richie] sent Jon a video and said, ‘Hey man, lots of love, lots of prayers – good luck on the road.’ It’s an insult to Richie!” The insider said.
A source close to the band told The Post: “Richie made the choice to leave 13 years ago, so it is his decision to not be part of the band.”
He has been replaced since 2013 by Canadian guitarist Phil X (born Philip Xenidis).
The insider accused front man Bon Jovi of acting more like “con Jovi,” in recent years, trying to assume the whole band’s legacy as his own.
“Jon wanted all the money, the fame,” they said, insisting Sambora is the better songwriter, adding: “In the beginning, Jon said, ‘Hey I have all these songs.’ Richie was like, ‘Hey, they don’t sound good.’
“The ones Richie writes become hits. He s–ts gold bars.”
However, a string of solo singles released by the guitarist in 2024 and 2025 have failed to have much impact.
Meanwhile, the source close to the band claimed Jon was always a “very charismatic” band leader, and the driving force in the early days.
“Jon was super, super ambitious. He was so charismatic. He wasn’t a great singer, but he had stage presence. He was drawing in girls. I thought he’d get one record and disappear,” the source told The Post.
Meanwhile the insider insists it’s the fans who are the ones that suffer because the two key members can’t work things out.
“The fans know the difference. That’s the sad thing,” they claimed.
