Richie Sambora Opens Up About Leaving Bon Jovi

Richie Sambora is opening up about why he chose to leave Bon Jovi. The 61-year-old rocker drew widespread criticism when he walked away from the iconic band in 2013, but in a new interview with People, Sambora explained that it was something he needed to do for his family.

"It wasn't a popular decision by any means, obviously, but there was really almost no choice about it. I had a lot of conscious work to do around [my personal life]," he said "We've been through a lot of things together. That was a time of psychological maintenance for the family."

At the time of his departure, Sambora's ex-wife, Heather Locklear, who he divorced in 2009, was struggling with mental health issues. The situation was taking its toll on their daughter, Ava, and Sambora said he needed to be there for her.

"You know, I ain't no angel. But I realized, Ava needed me to be around at that point in time. Family had to come first, and that's what happened."

Sambora found himself flying back home to visit his family more and more often while on tour with Bon Jovi. He would hop on a private jet, rush to see Ava, then return in time for the band's next performance. In an earlier interview with Daily Mail, Sambora said he eventually realized his family needed to take priority.

"Jon and I spent more time together than we spent with our families because him and I wrote the songs," he explained. "But as you see now, my daughter just graduated on the dean's list from LSU as a psychology major and she's gone on to grad school now. And so and it's just, you know, she and I have just been really fantastic and we just have a great relationship."

Speaking with People, Sambora added that he was proud of who Ava had become.

"She's an amazing young woman with a bright future," he said. "She's just dedicated to being a good person. And she is."

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