Sambora and Locklear marriage in trouble

[Elvira]

New York Daily News
Dec. 4, 2005

State of the union not Bon Jovial for Sambora, Locklear

Richie Sambora and Heather Locklear are due to celebrate their 11th anniversary Dec. 17, but to hear some people talk, their marriage may not last much past that.

Long seen as one of show business' sturdier couples, the Bon Jovi guitarist and the actress are said to be struggling to keep it together for the sake of their 8-year-old daughter, Ava.

"Richie is a sweetheart, but I don't know if he can take it much longer," one of his pals tells us.

Sambora, who's 46 and grew up an only child, is said to have begged the 44-year-old Locklear to try for another baby.

"She refuses," hisses the source. "She's more concerned about resurrecting what's left of her career."

Locklear, who starred on "Melrose Place" and "Spin City," has had a busy year — with regular appearances on "LAX" and "Boston Legal" and a movie, "The Perfect Man."

After waiting for her to come home, Sambora has now hit the road with his band. And though Locklear joined the other Bon Jovi wives at the band's show in Chicago, she's been missing from other dates.

Celebrating her birthday recently in L.A., she invited her ex-husband, rocker Tommy Lee, to join the party at Koi. Sambora was not present.

Meanwhile, friends say she keeps her Richie — who, like Lee, is famous for his endowments — on a short leash.

"If he wants to go out for a beer with some friends, she's on his case," says a source. "He's loyal to her. But she needs 24-hour-a-day [butt]-kissing."

Heather and Richie wish their "friends" would shut up. "The real story is that there is no story," they told us in a joint statement. "The truth is that after 11 years together, we are still happily married. Boring but true."

It's also said that Sambora's bandmates barely tolerate her. During one stretch of the last tour, Jon Bon Jovi insisted on riding along in a different bus.

"If Richie divorced her, nobody would be heartbroken," says a source

[buttmunch]

Wait a sec, he wants her to have another kid at 44? That's a bit long in the tooth to be doing that. And boo hoo...she's pursuing a career and isn't there to cater to his every need? What a baby. Only children...nah...I won't say it.

[calendargurl]

is she stupid?! doesn't she know the cool thing for resurrecting careers is to HAVE A BABY?! if she got pregnant you know she'd be in a bunch of magazines and crap...hollywood mom over the age of 40...blah blah. it's just the kind of stuff they like to market these days.

[darksithbunny]

I don't blame her. A baby at 44 isn't easy to do. As far as the short leash, all rock stars NEED to be on a short leash. Inviting Tommy to her party? He probably was already having dinner there so she had a few drinks and said come on and join us. Who hasn' t been in a similar situation?

[butterbean]

Who the hell wants to start over at 44 - their daughter is 8, most people don't want to go through those years again especially at 44. She probably keeps Richie on short leash, because her past experience with her cheating ex Tommy Lee was no picnic, not to mention Jon Bon Jovi's confessions of cheating also.

[Tenaj]

you should never have a baby to save a relationship, it's not fair on the kid

[buttmunch]

Or on the parents.