Jon Bon Jovi’s Secret Vegas Elopement Stunned the World—35 Years Later, He Says It Was the Best Decision of His Life!
As the legendary rocker prepares to unveil his life story in the highly anticipated Hulu docuseries *Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story* (streaming April 26), Jon Bon Jovi is taking a nostalgic look back at one of the most shocking and spontaneous decisions of his life—eloping with his high school sweetheart, Dorothea Bongiovi.
Back in April 1989, at the height of Bon Jovi mania, with *Slippery When Wet* and *New Jersey* dominating the charts, Jon made a move no one saw coming. Ignoring the pressures of fame, screaming fans, and industry expectations, he whisked Dorothea away for a secret Las Vegas wedding. It was a split-second, adrenaline-fueled decision that blindsided everyone in his inner circle. But while critics and even his own team doubted the impulsive romance, Jon now reflects with pride: *“35 years later, we’re still married. I wouldn’t change a thing.”
Jon Bon Jovi and wife Dorothea in 1990.Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty
“We were in Los Angeles, California, the band was on the road on the New Jersey tour, and if you opened up the curtains of my hotel room, there’s a big billboard of the five of us [Bon Jovi band members] staring into my window,” Bon Jovi recalls. “My girlfriend, who was my fiancée at the time, we had a night off, and I said, ‘I need a higher high — I got an idea. Let’s go to Vegas now.’ And she said, ‘Now?’ I said, ‘Now.’”
Jon Bon Jovi and wife Dorothea on their 1989 wedding day in Las Vegas.jon bon jovi/instagram
And so, the young couple headed to Sin City, where “the taxi driver was our witness” as they said “I do,” he recalls.
Once the news went public, “it shocked a lot of people — shocked about everybody: the band, management, agents, lawyers, parents, you name it,’” Bon Jovi recalls. “It’s a shame because it should have been a beautiful moment, but after we did it, people were trying to take it away, until I stood up and went, ‘Wait a minute, why are we living our life for anyone else?’ And 35 years later, we’re still married.”
Looking back, “we got it right the first time,“ says the Grammy winner, who recounts their love story in his new Hulu docuseries, Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story (streaming Friday, April 26).
Jon Bon Jovi and wife Dorothea in Paris in January 1996.Dave Benett/Getty
Jon Bon Jovi and wife Dorothea in New York City in October 2016.Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty
The pair have enjoyed plenty of happy memories together over the years, including raising four children together: daughter Stephanie, 30, and sons Jesse, 29, Jake, 21, and Romeo, 20. And in 2006, they together launched the JBJ Soul Foundation, a nonprofit that creates affordable housing and provides meals to those in need.
Dorothea has also supported Bon Jovi through difficult times, including recent vocal cord issues that almost stole his voice. He underwent vocal cord surgery to alleviate loose vocal folds that were affecting his performance and almost forced him into retirement.
Jon Bon Jovi and wife Dorothea in New York City in November 2021.Theo Wargo/Getty
“The thing that gave me so much pleasure had been taken away,” Bon Jovi says. “Joy is something you got to work at, right? Happiness is what you make it. It’s not about seizing the day anymore. I think it’s about embracing the day. I don’t have to punch it in the face anymore, now I just give it a hug, and that’s a good place to be.”
Jon Bon Jovi on the May 6, 2024 cover of PEOPLE.
That spirit is at the heart of Bon Jovi’s upcoming 16th studio album, Forever, he says: “What really matters in a life? It’s love and loyalty and finding things that make you want to get up out of bed in the morning.”
For more on Jon Bon Jovi, pick up the new issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands everywhere Friday.
Axl Rose’s Incredible Net Worth 2025: Legendary Lead Singer’s Fortune Revealed.
Axl Rose, born William Bruce Rose Jr. on February 6, 1962, in Lafayette, Indiana, is a renowned American musician best known as the lead vocalist and lyricist of the hard rock band Guns N’ Roses. His dynamic stage presence and distinctive voice have solidified his status as one of rock music’s most iconic figures.
Early Life and Musical Beginnings
Rose’s early life was marked by turbulence. He faced a challenging upbringing, including allegations of abuse, which led him to leave home during his teenage years. Immersing himself in music, he became a part of the Los Angeles music scene in the early 1980s, performing with various bands before co-founding Guns N’ Roses in 1985.
Rise to Fame with Guns N’ Roses
Guns N’ Roses quickly ascended to fame with their debut album, “Appetite for Destruction” (1987), which has sold over 30 million copies worldwide. The album featured hits like “Sweet Child o’ Mine,” “Welcome to the Jungle,” and “Paradise City,” showcasing Rose’s powerful vocals and the band’s raw energy. Subsequent albums, including “G N’ R Lies” (1988) and the dual releases “Use Your Illusion I & II” (1991), further cemented their place in rock history.
Net Worth
As of 2023, Axl Rose’s net worth is estimated to be around $200 million. This substantial wealth primarily stems from his success with Guns N’ Roses, including album sales, touring, and merchandise. The band’s “Not in This Lifetime… Tour,” which began in 2016, was particularly lucrative, grossing over $584 million, making it one of the highest-grossing tours of all time.
Personal Life
Axl Rose has been known for his tumultuous personal life. He was briefly married to Erin Everly, the daughter of singer Don Everly, in 1990; however, the marriage was annulled in early 1991. As of now, Rose is not publicly known to be married.
Relationship with Slash and Band Dynamics
The relationship between Axl Rose and lead guitarist Slash has been a focal point in the band’s history. Creative differences and personal conflicts led to Slash’s departure from Guns N’ Roses in 1996. The rift between the two lasted for nearly two decades, during which they had minimal communication. However, in 2016, they reconciled, leading to a successful reunion tour.
Ownership of Guns N’ Roses
Axl Rose is known to have control over the Guns N’ Roses name and brand. This control has been a point of contention among former band members. When Slash and bassist Duff McKagan rejoined the band for the 2016 reunion, it was reported that Rose retained ownership of the band’s name, while the returning members participated in the tour under negotiated terms.
Who is the Richest Guns N’ Roses Member?
Axl Rose is considered the wealthiest member of Guns N’ Roses, with an estimated net worth of $200 million. Guitarist Slash follows, with a net worth of approximately $90 million. Bassist Duff McKagan, who has also pursued various business ventures, has an estimated net worth of around $70 million.
Recent Developments
In November 2023, Axl Rose settled a sexual assault lawsuit filed by former model Sheila Kennedy, pertaining to an alleged incident in 1989. Despite the settlement, Rose continues to deny the allegations.
Legacy
Axl Rose’s influence on rock music is undeniable. His powerful vocals, dynamic performances, and songwriting have left an indelible mark on the industry. Despite personal and professional challenges, his contributions continue to resonate with fans worldwide.
Angel Reese reacts to passenger payout offer following plane crash: ‘Wait that’s it?’
Delta Air Lines offered each passenger on the crashed Toronto flight $30,000
Passengers on board Delta Air Lines Flight 4819 endured a harrowing landing experience in Toronto. The 76 passengers were left hanging upside down in their seats after the aircraft flipped over upon landing.
Four crew members were also aboard the plane at the time of the crash. All 80 individuals survived, with 21 passengers receiving treatment at a hospital. Every passenger transported to the hospital has since been released, the airline confirmed.
The Atlanta-based airline responded to the event by offering each impacted passenger a $30,000 payout. But, the five-figure sum fell short in the eyes of WNBA star Angel Reese.
“wait that’s it? YEAH NO,” Reese wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Thursday.
Reese’s comments sparked a fury of reactions across social media, with some calling on the airline to do more for the passengers.
If every passenger decided to take the offer, Delta would be responsible for an approximate $2.3 million total payout. The airline did note that the offer came with “no strings attached.”
“Delta Care Team representatives are telling customers this gesture has no strings attached and does not affect their rights,” an airline spokesperson said. How passengers would actually receive the compensation remains unclear.
The incident in Toronto is one of several recent aviation disasters.
A military Black Hawk helicopter collided with an American Airlines-affiliated commercial flight in midair just outside Washington, D.C. on Jan. 29, leaving 67 people dead. The flight departed from Wichita, Kansas, and was arriving at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
In late January, a twin-engine medevac jet crashed in a Philadelphia neighborhood. The plane was carrying a child patient and her mother. Seven people died as a result of the crash, including one person who was inside a vehicle on the ground.
Karolina Muchova consoled Emma Raducanu when a man displaying “fixated behaviour” appeared at their match.
Karolina Muchova came to console Emma Raducanu when she became visibly distressed (Image: WTA)
Karolina Muchova has spoken out after a ‘stalker’ was removed during her match against Emma Raducanu in Dubai.
Raducanu suddenly burst into tears and approached the umpire while trailing 2-0 in their second-round match.
It later emerged that a man who had shown “fixated behaviour” the previous day was removed from the stands.
There was concern when Raducanu became distressed early in her contest with Muchova. The Czech star came over to console her opponent. After the spectator in question was removed, the match resumed.
The Brit showed courage to continue playing, and she erased a 4-0 deficit. But Muchova still took the opening set in a tiebreak and went on to win 7-6(6) 6-4.
The world No. 17 has now addressed the incident for the first time, admitting she didn’t realise what was happening at first.
“Yeah, it was strange situation,” Muchova said after beating McCartney Kessler in the round of 16.
Karolina Muchova went on to beat Emma Raducanu (Image: Getty)
“I honestly went for my serving. I didn’t even know something was happening. Then I saw she’s not on the other side. So I went to check with the referee what is happening. She told me what is happening.
“Yeah, obviously you don’t want to see these things to be happening to anyone, to any woman, any girl. So I was just trying to be there, maybe calm her down a little bit.
“I’m happy they solved it pretty fast. I think she was fine after a while. Then we just kept going with the match.”
The former French Open finalist also said she had never encountered anything similar herself.
She added: “I’m lucky around me it’s nice fans usually. Yeah, I wasn’t in the situation. Again, I felt sorry for her and for anyone who has to go through this.
“Obviously there are people texting us after matches all the time. Sometimes not the nicest messages. But never it happened to me that someone would like actually approach me live. Yeah, I guess I’m lucky it didn’t happen to me.”
Raducanu has since returned home and she took to Instagram to thank Muchova for being a good sport.
“Thank you for the messages of support. Difficult experience yesterday (Tuesday) but I’ll be okay and proud of how I came back and competed despite what happened at the start of the match,” the Brit wrote.
“Thank you to Karolina for being a great sport and best of luck to her for the rest of the tournament.”
The WTA confirmed that a man exhibiting “fixated behaviour” had approached Raducanu on Monday and was identified in the stands of her match against Muchova.
“On Monday, February 17, Emma Raducanu was approached in a public area by a man who exhibited fixated behaviour,” the women’s tennis tour said in a statement.
“This same individual was identified in the first few rows during Emma’s match on Tuesday at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships and subsequently ejected. He will be banned from all WTA events pending a threat assessment.”
Jaylen Brown wants to revive Oakland, and he’s putting his money where his mouth is
OAKLAND, Calif. — It took less than a year for Jaylen Brown to fall in love with the city of Oakland. In 2015, the 18-year-old basketball player, a freshman at UC Berkley, frequently ventured south from his prestigious university, eager to explore the nearby city.
Back then, Brown was busy preparing for the NBA Draft, studying up on the intricacies of the NBA so that he wouldn’t have to hire an agent, interning at a venture capital firm, and learning Spanish — among a long list of other intellectual pursuits.
He had just completed a standout freshman basketball season that led scouts to agree that he was destined for the lottery, but still worried that his intelligence could get in the way of his pro basketball career.
“Because he is so smart, it might be intimidating to some teams,” an anonymous assistant general manager famously told ESPN’s Marc Spears before the draft, adding that Brown “didn’t fit the mold of a so-called basketball player.” It’s a quote that has been recalled countless times — and one that spurred a national discourse around Black athletes and the tropes surrounding them.
Any concerns about Jaylen Brown, the player, were squashed years ago with his on-court play; he holds career averages of 18.9 points on 47.8% shooting for his career and was named both the Eastern Conference Finals and Finals MVP last season en route to securing the Celtics’ 18th championship.
So, 10 years after his formative freshman year, Brown returned to the city he credits for shaping him into the person he is today, just in time for his fourth NBA All-Star Weekend. The circumstances have changed, but at his core, he returns the same person.
It’s a windy Friday afternoon in downtown Oakland, and the line to get into the Hall of Fame Sneaker Ball is halfway down the street.
Attendees were advised to dress in their fanciest attire, but with a fitting twist: they must also wear their favorite sneakers.
The room is largely filled with Oakland residents, a bustling atmosphere that features the city’s interim mayor, former NBA players like Baron Davis, and a slew of community leaders. The event is a celebration shedding light on the efforts of Oakstop, an Oakland-based social enterprise that, for more than a decade, has provided office space and event venues for underserved communities in the area.
In the back of the room is Jaylen Brown, the Celtics superstar who is just a few months removed from launching Oakland XChange. Brown’s nonprofit, co-founded with Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd, aims to empower historically marginalized communities in Oakland. The XChange will invest in budding businesses, providing them with both financial resources and technical support. There is both a material component, as businesses will receive no-strings-attached grants, and a technical assistance aspect of support; Brown will leverage his network to support Oakland entrepreneurs and creators.
On paper, Brown’s life is wildly different now; he’s no longer a raw but high-ceiling basketball prospect, instead, he’s a four-time NBA All-Star. He’s no longer a teenager who speaks about the racial wealth gap and the need to invest in underserved communities, he’s now a tangible part of the solution.
Brown is tipping off his All-Star weekend with a massive announcement that has nothing to do with basketball: Oakland XChange and Oakstop have purchased a three-story building that they will transform into a state-of-the-art business incubator for underserved businesses and creatives.
The building, which offers more than 25,000 square feet of floor space for businesses, is on top of the 19th Street BART Station, the most trafficked BART station in the entire Bay Area. That location is intentional; the goal is to ensure the incubator is as accessible as possible.
“The overall idea is that you have a building that simultaneously houses nonprofits that can provide training and education and learning to organizations and individuals,” said Trevor Parham, Oakland XChange’s executive director. “But then you also have office spaces that can house the folks that are building those businesses.”
The endeavor is a partnership between Oakstop, Brown, and Kidd. From the jump, it was critical to Brown that his work elevated the efforts of long-standing, on-the-ground community groups — an effort that Partham has long led.
“A lot of the things that I’m doing, it’s not starting from scratch, it’s about aligning with people who have been doing the work,” Brown told SB Nation. “Oakstop has been doing the work for years, trying to develop areas in the community, give resources, incubator spaces to build ideas — they’ve been doing that for years. That’s been consistent here in Oakland. Being able to partner with people who are doing the work, it’s a better strategy than starting from scratch.”
Kidd, an Oakland native, said last month that joining Brown in this venture was a no-brainer.
“I was moved by what he was trying to do, and wanted to be a part of that,” Kidd said. “His vision of helping others is like no other.”
It was an especially unique collaboration because it came just a few months after Brown’s Celtics beat Kidd’s Mavericks in the Finals.
“Being able to do something with J-Kidd — we just competed in the NBA Finals,” Brown said at training camp. “For him to put that aside and be able to put community first was pretty awesome.”
On this particular Friday, as he addresses the jam-packed room, Brown is noticeably under the weather. He apologizes to the attendees for his monotone voice, but promises to power through his speech.
“We are invested into the community,” Brown declares, summoning raucous applause.
After he signed his historic 5-year, $304 supermax contract, Jaylen Brown vowed to bring a Black Wall Street to Boston to help rectify the city’s racial wealth gap.
“I want to attack the wealth disparity here,” he said in the official press conference announcing his historic extension.
The following summer, he followed through on his word, launching Boston XChange in partnership with Jrue Holiday, and his wife, U.S. soccer legend Lauren Holiday. That nonprofit invested $105,000 in ten Black-owned businesses, while also providing them with office space for three years and mentorship support from institutions like Harvard and MIT (Jrue and Lauren Holiday have long spearheaded this type of investment work in the cities where they’ve resided).
But, though Brown’s initial stated goal was to give back to Boston, he knew of another community that could benefit from significant investment: Oakland, a city he often frequented his freshman year.
“It was a very great year that I spent here,” Brown said. “For me, it really shaped and defined who Jaylen Brown is and who I wanted to be, and how I wanted to go about utilizing myself and my platform for the rest of my career.”
Oakland’s racial wealth gap is as extreme as any city’s; the median household income for African-American households is $37,500 (compared to $110,000 for White families). And, in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the city has dealt with a rise in shuttered businesses, as well as the departure of its three professional sports teams: the Warriors (relocated to San Francisco in 2019), Raiders (moved to Las Vegas in 2020), and A’s (who have temporarily relocated to Sacramento).
“They’ve taken everything away from us,” said one Black Oakland resident, who preferred to remain anonymous. “This city is gone as we know it, and no one is paying attention.”
Bucks guard Damian Lillard, an Oakland native himself, was similarly candid about the city’s dire current situation, particularly when it comes to the mass exodus of its pro sports teams.
“It’s not looking good,” Lillard said at All-Star weekend. “I think it’s still fresh. The Raiders have been in Vegas for a couple of years. This past season was the last one here for the A’s. The Warriors have been in San Francisco, what, four or five years now? I think it’s still fresh. It’s hard to see where it goes from here. How do you recreate that and how do you bring that type of life back into the city?”
Brown doesn’t have all the answers. But his philanthropic efforts are a step toward investing in a community that desperately needs it.
“We know what happens when it [Oakland] is forgotten about,” Brown said. “We know what the agenda is, and we’re going to put up a real fight. I’m here to fight with you guys.”
After giving his speech at the Sneaker Ball, Jaylen Brown visited McClymonds High School, the school that Celtics legend Bill Russell attended in the 1950s.
Russell, a civil rights icon who won 11 championships in Boston, is someone that Brown has routinely gushed about over the years.
“I plan on continuing to walk in his [Russell’s] light,” Brown said at an October ceremony that renamed Boston’s North Washington Street Bridge after Russell.
In addition to touring Russell’s high school, Brown visited a slew of museums on Friday afternoon, including the Black Panthers Museum, which chronicles the history of the revolutionary African American Black Panthers movement that was founded in 1966 by two college students in Oakland.
Despite his time in the city being relatively limited, there is something that Brown has always loved about Oakland — its rich history, its people, and its culture.
“It became like a second home,” Brown said. “A lot of things I learned the year that I was there, it’s built the foundation for everything that I’ve done since — MIT, Harvard, my activism, everything. It’s great to come back here and see some familiar faces, but just embrace myself in the community as well, with the people that need it the most.”
While the NBA held a few All-Star events in Oakland’s Oracle Arena, all of the main events were held at Chase Center in downtown San Francisco. SB Nation attended all of these events, and it was notable how Oracle Arena’s open All-Star practice on Saturday not only drew more lively crowds than any of the weekend’s festivities — but all of the actual games (Rising Stars game, All-Star game) and competitions (Dunk Contest, Three-point contest, Skills Challenge) that were held at Chase.
The move away from Oracle to Chase was a business decision, Brown acknowledged. But, in many ways, it’s symbolic of the larger lack of investment in the community.
“All of this is intentional — to push people out, and push other people in,” Brown said to the event attendees of the broader trends surrounding Oakland. “Our goal is to slow this down, or actually prevent this. The bad news is that it’s going to take a lot of work, but the good news is that we’re prepared to fight.”
Jaylen Brown has long rejected the premise that his off-court pursuits would interfere with his play.
“What is the ‘so-called mold’ of a basketball player?” Brown said at All-Star weekend in 2018 when asked about the infamous draft reports that questioned him. “I challenge whoever has the ideology of this ‘so-called’ basketball player, I challenge them to come out and say what that is.”
Needless to say, there is no such mold. And, despite some early-career struggles, today, Brown is the most accomplished player selected in the 2016 NBA Draft.
Still, he embraces doing things differently.
So, while most All-Stars began their weekend with various brand events around San Francisco, Brown opted to tip his off at a luncheon in the heart of Oakland, recognizing the power of his platform, and the impact of aligning his name and his pocket book with the causes he believes in most.
“A lot of people have already put a lot of work into the community — they just need the voice, the awareness, and the attention,” he said. “That’s what my job is, using my platform to redirect the attention, the focus, to places that get forgotten about. I’m here to shed that awareness, to keep inspiring people to keep fighting.”
Today, Brown is a lot of things: the signee of (at the time) the largest contract in NBA history, a household name with a massive social media following, the Celtics’ vocal leader, the vice president of the NBPA, and the founder of a sneaker and apparel company, 741 Performance. He launched his own shoe company this past summer so that he could be informed enough about the industry to educate younger players who might want to do the same.
“I did that on purpose, so I could be able to explain to the next generation what it takes, how much time it takes, how much money,” Brown said. “I’m very, very informed, and I can’t wait to share with the next generation.”
Brown’s relentless pursuit of off-court endeavors has long impressed those closest to him.
“Jaylen makes me just a better person because of his passion to just go after stuff,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said last month. “He wants to take on everything. He wants to be just as impactful off the court as he wants to be on the court.”
But at his core, though he is far more accomplished at 28 than he was at 18, Brown returns to northern California the same guy who left a decade prior: a gifted basketball player with an unwavering vision of wanting to advocate for the most vulnerable in society.
Coming out of the All-Star game, the Boston Celtics were back to their dominant victories as they dismantled the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night. With most of the league returning to action a week after the break began, Boston came out of the gate on fire early in the game, and maintaining their lead throughout for their fourth consecutive win.
Not only did the Celtics continue their winning streak, but they returned with a healthy lineup including point guard Jrue Holiday who returned after missing four games. The story for Boston was much of the same in a lot of their wins this season, a balanced effort from the starters including a triple-double from Jayson Tatum, Payton Pritchard continuing his campaign for Sixth Man Of the Year, and success shooting from deep.
Here’s a quick recap of the Boston Celtics’ victory over the Philadelphia 76ers as they start the final stretch of the season, looking to grab the top seed from the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Final score: Boston Celtics 124 Philadelphia 76ers 104
Keys to the game:
Payton Pritchard has another great performance: Leading the way for the Celtics was the odds-on favorite for Sixth Man Of the Year, Payton Pritchard who dropped a game-high 28 points in the blowout victory. Shooting over 50% from the field and from deep, Pritchard’s outburst was fueled by their eight three-pointers. It was also his 17th game where he scored at least 20 points in a game for the Celtics this year. It can never be emphasized enough, with as strong of a starting five as Boston has, Pritchard’s big games off the bench show just how deep Boston is and how talented Pritchard is.
Three-point shooting: There is no hidden secret that the Celtics not only shoot the most three-pointers per game this year, but they also make the most as well. On Thursday night they went 24-of-54 from deep, a made percentage of 44%. Most games go this way for Boston, when they are hot from deep and at times when they are not hitting is usually when the games are either tight wins or losses.
Highlight of the game: Defense leads to the fast break, Jayson Tatum throws the Alley-Oop to Jaylen Brown
After beating down the Knicks by 27 points at Madison Square Garden earlier this month, the Knicks will come to TD Garden looking for revenge. Boston will look to extend their winning streak to five games overall, and what would be a third straight win over New York this season. Although Boston has had their number this season, the Knicks are only three games behind the Celtics in the Eastern Conference standings as the teams are respectively the second and third seed.
Kid Rock Explodes in Expletive-Filled Rant Before Storming Off Stage at Bon Jovi’s David Bryan’s Birthday Bash—What Set Him Off?
Tony Award-winning Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and Bon Jovi keyboard player David Bryan celebrated his 63rd birthday at JBJ’s in Nashville over the weekend. Hundreds of fans packed Jon Bon Jovi’s downtown bar to watch Bryan and some of his rockstar friends perform. However, the night wasn’t great for everyone. Kid Rock threw a tantrum and stormed off the stage when the crowd wouldn’t comply with his instructions.
The “I’m taking my ball and going home” moment came when Kid Rock, Bryan, and others were performing a cover of the Creedence Clearwater Revival classic “Proud Mary.” After a rough start, they nailed the first verse before the Michigan native decided he wanted everyone to clap along with the beat.
Kid Rock Throws Expletives at JBJ’s Crowd Before Quitting Mid-Song
Some fans complied. However, some members of the audience committed the offense of enjoying the song in a different fashion. Some were dancing while others captured video of the performance or sipped their drinks while enjoying the show.
“F**k them,” Kid Rock said about those who weren’t clapping. He then called the band to a halt and demanded that everyone clap along with the beat. The singer who hasn’t released a hit in around a decade then told the crowd if they didn’t clap, the band wouldn’t play. His fellow musicians seemed confused by the outburst but rolled with the punches.
Finally, Kid Rock was satisfied with the amount of clapping and allowed the band to continue the song. However, when many audience members got into the groove of the song and stopped clapping, Mr. Ritchie had a minor onstage meltdown. “You know what? F**k y’all,” he told the crowd. “You ain’t gonna clap, I’m going,” he added before storming off the stage leaving his fellow musicians looking confused and more than a little embarrassed.
Ironically, after he stormed off the stage in a huff, the crowd started clapping and cheering wildly. In the end, he got what he wanted, just not how he wanted it.
Kid Rock didn’t return to the stage and the rest of the birthday bash went off without a hitch.
Fact Check: Did Chris Stapleton file ‘official objection’ to Beyonce’s Best Country Album Grammy win?
A rumor circulated online claiming that country singer Chris Stapleton had filed an official objection to Beyonce’s win (Amy Sussman, Kaitlyn Morris/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Beyonce won the Grammy for Best Country Album for ‘Cowboy Carter’ earlier in February which made some critics question her win. Many believed that her album did not deserve to win the prestigious award.
Amid the controversies, a rumor circulated online claiming that Country singer Chris Stapleton filed an official objection after Beyonce’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ won the 2025 Grammy Award for Best Country Album. But is there any truth to this? Let’s find out below.
Claim: Chris Stapleton filed ‘official objection’ to Beyonce’s Grammy win for best country album
In February 2025, a rumor circulated across social media platforms claiming that country artist Chris Stapleton had filed an “official objection” after Beyonce’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ won the 2025 Grammy Award for Best Country Album.
A Facebook post on February 16 included an image that featured an alleged quote from Stapleton. The text in the picture read, “CHRIS STAPLETON HAS FILED AN OFFICIAL OBJECTION TO BEYONCÉ’S GRAMMY WIN.” A Facebook post included an image that featured an alleged quote from Chris Stapleton (Country Music Stories/Facebook)
It continued, “Country music has a rich history and a distinct sound that deserves to be recognized and celebrated. We need to ensure that the awards reflect the true essence of the genre and honor those who have dedicated their lives to it. -Chris Stapleton.”
The repost of the image on Facebook has so far crossed more than 554k likes and more than 34k comments at the time of filing this story.
False: No evidence to prove that Chris Stapleton made such statements
The claim made in the online rumor is completely false as there is no demonstrable evidence to support the claim, according to Snopes.
Moreover, no credible news outlet reported that Stapleton filed any objection to Beyoncé’s win for Best Country Album, per Snopes. Beyonce accepts the Album of the Year for ‘Cowboy Carter’ onstage during the 67th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 02, 2025, in Los Angeles, California (Amy Sussman/Getty Images)
Furthermore, a Google search for the quote from the February 16 Facebook post did not give any proof that Stapleton said those words, the outlet mentioned.
Stapleton’s official website or his official social media pages also did not mention any objection to Beyoncé’s win.
Interestingly, fact-checking website Lead Stories also looked into the claim and traced it to a February 9 post on a website named Fancy 4 Work. Chris Stapleton performs onstage for the 2021 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena on June 09, 2021, in Nashville, Tennessee (Erika Goldring/Getty Images for CMT)
According to Lead Stories, that website showed hallmarks of being “a content farm or spam network” instead of a legitimate news organization.
John Rich blames Grammy politics for Beyonce’s win
Big & Rich’s John Rich called out Beyonce’s win for Best Country Album for ‘Cowboy Carter’ and slammed the Grammys, blaming industry politics for awarding her over Lainey Wilson.
He took to X (formerly Twitter) on February 3 and wrote, “Folks are asking me “how do music award shows work?” Labels/publishers all have blocks of votes. They make deals with each other “you vote for mine, we’ll vote for yours” type thing.”
Folks are asking me “how do music award shows work?” Labels/publishers all have blocks of votes. They make deals with each other “you vote for mine, we’ll vote for yours” type thing. It has ZERO to do with who made the best music, thus, Beyonce with “Country album of the year.”…
— John Rich🇺🇸 (@johnrich) February 3, 2025
He added, “It has ZERO to do with who made the best music, thus, Beyonce with “Country album of the year.” Nice, right? The same thing is true with the CMA’s, ACM’s, Billboard, etc…all work exactly the same. Last night, the Grammy’s outed themselves in a big way.”
Notably, Beyonce won the Best Country Album award by defeating other notable nominees like Post Malone, Kacey Musgraves, and Chris Stapleton.
Apart from her country album win, She also won Album of the Year and Best Country Duo/Group Performance for ‘II Most Wanted’ alongside Miley Cyrus.
Celtics Annihilate 76ers in Statement Win After All-Star Break – Philly Had No Answer!
Boston Celtics’ Payton Pritchard, left, tries to get past Philadelphia 76ers’ Quentin Grimes, center, during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
In this season’s first Celtics-76ers meeting, Boston lost at home on Christmas Day. In the second, the Celtics needed a 26-point comeback to beat a Sixers team missing two of its top three players.
The third was a much better representation of where the two Atlantic Division rivals sit in the current NBA hierarchy.
The Celtics bulldozed the free-falling 76ers on Thursday night, breezing to a 124-104 win at the Wells Fargo Center in their return from an eight-day All-Star layoff.
It was the fourth consecutive victory and eighth in nine games for the reigning NBA champions, who sit 5 1/2 games back of first-place Cleveland in the Eastern Conference standings. The Celtics improved to 40-16 overall and a league-best 23-6 in road games. Their average margin of victory during their four-game win streak: 19.5 points.
“I think we just picked up where we left off,” center Kristaps Porzingis told NBC Sports Boston sideline reporter Abby Chin. “We were kind of heading into the break playing pretty good basketball, and tonight we came out, threw the first punch and just really took over the game.”
The 20-35 Sixers, expected to be one of Boston’s top contenders in the East, have lost six straight and are on track to miss the playoffs.
Payton Pritchard went 8-for-15 on 3-point attempts to lead the Celtics with 28 points off the bench. Jayson Tatum excelled as a facilitator, notching a 15-point, 11-assist, 10-rebound triple-double. Jaylen Brown finished with 20 points, six assists and six boards after sitting out Boston’s last two games with knee soreness. Derrick White had his second double-double of the season (16 points, 10 rebounds), and Porzingis topped 15 points for his 18th consecutive game (17, plus four rebounds, one steal and one block).
The Celtics were lethal and balanced from 3-point range in the opening quarter, hitting eight of their first 11 shots from beyond the arc. Those makes came from seven different players: one each by Tatum, Brown, White, Porzingis, Jrue Holiday and Al Horford and two by Pritchard, who canned threes on back-to-back possessions late in the first quarter to put Boston up eight.
Pritchard stayed hot in the second. By the 8:55 mark, the NBA Sixth Man of the Year front-runner was up to five made 3-pointers on six attempts, and the Celtics led by double digits. It was an authoritative return to form for Pritchard, who went just 3-for-18 from deep over his previous two games.
Boston’s ball movement also was terrific during this torrid start. The Celtics assisted on 15 of their first 17 made field goals, with Tatum and Brown combining for 12 first-half helpers.
One of the biggest beneficiaries of Tatum’s feeding was Luke Kornet. The backup big man converted a tough layup and two driving dunks in the second quarter, all off well-timed Tatum assists. Tatum last week called Kornet, who’s putting together the best season of his pro career, “one of the best teammates that you can have” and “a big part of (the Celtics’) success.”
At halftime, the Celtics owned a massive edge in 3-point success (15-for-25 to Philly’s 3-for-17) and a 72-56 lead. A flurry of successful Tyrese Maxey drives helped cut Boston’s edge to 10 points late in the half, but the Celtics responded with consecutive threes by Horford and Porzingis — the latter off a Tatum drop pass out of a pick-and-roll — to retake momentum.
Tatum’s triple-double was his second of the season (after his 43-point eruption against Chicago on Dec. 21) and fourth of his career. He leads the Celtics in points, assists and rebounds and is on pace for a career high in assists per game.
“(Tatum) was creating so much, and it takes a lot of energy,” Porzingis told Chin. “And tonight we were hitting shots. Sometimes he does that for us, and we’re not hitting shots. Tonight we were actually hitting shots, and lately, we’ve been shooting the ball really well. So we want to keep going this way.”
Maxey scored 33 and 34 points in the first two Celtics-Sixers matchups, but he managed just 16 points in this one and was a game-worst minus-25. The oft-injured Joel Embiid had 15 points on 3-of-9 shooting, and Boston repeatedly exploited his lack of mobility on the defensive end. Paul George scored 17 and was a minus-24.
The Celtics put the game away in the third quarter, leading by as many as 29 points and taking a 100-74 advantage into the fourth. Head coach Joe Mazzulla gave recent signee Torrey Craig some run with the regulars in the final frame (four rebounds, one assist, three blocks in eight minutes), then cleared his bench late.
A couple of garbage-time 3-pointers by Pritchard gave the Celtics 24 for the game on 54 attempts (44.4%). The league leader in 3-point makes and attempts by a wide margin, Boston has made 21 or more threes 14 times this season and is 14-0 in those games. It’s also 14-1 when shooting 41% or better from long range.
Mazzulla’s club now enters one of the most difficult stretches of its remaining schedule. Boston will play eight of its next 10 games at home, but most of those are against playoff-caliber opponents: the New York Knicks on Sunday, Cleveland Cavaliers on Feb. 28, Denver Nuggets on March 2, Los Angeles Lakers on March 8 and Oklahoma City Thunder on March 12.
Peyton Stearns collapsed after causing an upset at the Dubai Tennis Championships.
Peyton Stearns revealed that she collapsed after playing two matches in Dubai (Image: X @peyton_stearns)
Peyton Stearns has revealed that she collapsed in the corridor after beating Qinwen Zheng in Dubai.
The world No. 46 upset the Olympic champion in the second round of the Dubai Tennis Championships.
Stearns had to come back out for another match a few hours later and suffered a heavy defeat to Mirra Andreeva.
Rain wreaked havoc on the schedule in Dubai earlier this week, with play suspended for hours on Tuesday. It meant Stearns’ match against world No. 8 Zheng was pushed back by a day.
Peyton Stearns upset Olympic champion Qinwen Zheng before losing her next match (Image: Getty)
The Olympic gold medallist came out firing on Wednesday morning and took the first set. But Stearns forced a decider and broke immediately in the final set.
Zheng started to struggle, calling the physio. She later revealed she had been cramping in her fingers. Stearns sealed the biggest victory of her career, winning 3-6 6-4 6-4.
But she didn’t have much time to enjoy it, returning to face Andreeva in the round of 16. Andreeva needed just 73 minutes to beat her 6-1 6-1.
Stearns has now revealed that she was battling an illness and collapsed in the corridor after playing two matches in one day. The 23-year-old shared a photo of herself on the floor, being attended to by medics.
“Highly don’t recommend having a GI illness & playing 2 matches in a day… not a good combo,” she wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter).
Stearns also poked fun on Instagram, writing: “Let the bodies hit the floor.”
Andreeva also played two matches in one day, beating former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova earlier on Wednesday.
After defeating Stearns, she said: “ Yeah, it was tough to play two matches in one day. The rain decided that, so we had no choice.
“Yeah, just tried to stay active after my first match. I’m really happy with my win today.”
Stearns will be hoping to recover in time to play her home tournaments in America. The 23-year-old is set to compete in the ATX Open in Austin next week.
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A Facebook post included an image that featured an alleged quote from Chris Stapleton (Country Music Stories/Facebook)
Beyonce accepts the Album of the Year for ‘Cowboy Carter’ onstage during the 67th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 02, 2025, in Los Angeles, California (Amy Sussman/Getty Images)
Chris Stapleton performs onstage for the 2021 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena on June 09, 2021, in Nashville, Tennessee (Erika Goldring/Getty Images for CMT)
