Richie Sambora "disagrees" over his portrayal in the new Bon Jovi docu-series

26 April 2024, 16:26

Things were seemingly on the mend.

Ahead of the release of Bon Jovi's new, up-close-and-personal documentary, singer Jon Bon Jovi said he and Richie Sambora were seeing eye-to-eye again.

Claiming "there's never animosity" between the two, Bon Jovi even invited Sambora over to his home to watch the docu-series, Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story, together.

It seemed as though the door was open for Sambora to return to Bon Jovi, with the singer saying: "I've been waiting at the door for ten years."

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"But just to be clear, there was nothing but love. There was never a fight. Ultimately being in a rock band is not a life sentence. He had to deal with his other issues."

That door might be slammed shut down, after Richie reportedly "disagrees" about how he was portrayed in the documentary, leaving Bon Jovi's home before they'd even watched the entire series.

Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story (Official Trailer)

Sambora happily contributed his thoughts and feelings of the band's many highs and lows to the docu-series, despite not having been a member of Bon Jovi for over a decade.

However, a source reported in PEOPLE that "Richie flew out to see Jon and brought him a birthday present - a really nice guitar."

"But they screened Jon's documentary instead. Richie left after the third episode because he was sick and tired of what he was seeing."

The source continues: "He didn't like the way he was being cast. He disagrees with how they framed his departure from the band and to him, the currency of happiness is more important than the currency of money."

Sambora left Bon Jovi in 2013 to focus on his family amid a bitter divorce from Heather Locklear, though his leaving hasn't been discussed between the band since.

That's despite the pair's brotherly relationship that was formed over the course of three decades in a rock band together.

In the docu-series, Sambora reveals: "I don't regret leaving the situation, but I regret how I did it."

"So I want to apologize fully right now to the fans, especially, and also to the guys because my feet and my spirit were just not letting me walk out the door."

During Bon Jovi's 2013 world tour, the band took a break when Sambora was a no-show. But then he never returned at all.

"We were all shocked," Bon Jovi says in the documentary. "It was a show that night … and he just didn't show up."

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"And then the next night, and then the next night … We had 120 people on the road, 80 other shows to do. So the train kept going."

Reflecting on the situation, "it was the end of a chapter for the band," Bon Jovi frankly admits. "Difficult, but, you know, life goes on."

Life has gone on for the band - with their latest album Forever set for release which was preceded by the epic single 'Legendary'- though it might be some time before Richie Sambora re-joins however.