All About Heather Locklear and Richie Sambora’s Daughter Ava Sambora

Exes Heather Locklear and Richie Sambora love their daughter Ava Sambora very much.

The actress and former Bon Jovi guitarist married in 1994, and welcomed Ava three years later. Although they divorced in 2006 and fought a custody battle, their divorce was finalized in 2007, and the two continued to reunite due to major milestones in their daughter’s life.

“If you disagree, you will mess up the child. That’s what’s going on,” the rocker told PEOPLE in March 2014. “So you’ve got to put that ahead of everything that’s––– going on. Communication must come first. Obviously there is a cooling off period, as you know – it takes time. It was almost 10 years ago. So we’re good. Thanksgiving or Christmas, we all spend it together.”

Heather Locklear & Richie Sambora Reunite to Watch Daughter Ava Receive Diploma in Family Therapy (Exclusive)

While Ava has mostly stayed out of the spotlight, Locklear often shares sweet tributes to her daughter on social media. Speaking to PEOPLE in October 2020, the actress said she was “blessed to be invited [Ava] my daughter” and that she “couldn’t be more proud of her”.

Here’s everything you need to know about Heather Locklear and Richie Sambora’s daughter, Ava Sambora.

She was born in 1997

Gregg DeGuire/WireImage

Locklear and Sambora gave birth to Ava on October 4, 1997. After 35 hours of labor, Locklear delivered Ava by cesarean section at Encino-Tarzana Regional Medical Center in Los Angeles.

However, when Ava was 8 years old, Lockear and Sambora announced their separation and their divorce was finalized in 2007. The following year, the family reunited for Thanksgiving, and the exes continued to co-parent.

“Heather and Richie are very supportive of each other,” Locklear’s friend told PEOPLE at the time. “They talk all the time and whenever something important happens to Ava, they are there together. It will be a very nice Thanksgiving for everyone.”

She is a big supporter of her mom

Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic

Ava is very close to her mother and has been very supportive over the years as she struggled with substance abuse. In 2019, Locklear was ordered to complete a 30-day stint in a private rehab facility, with her daughter standing by her side.

“Ava has a loving and supportive relationship with her mom,” a source told PEOPLE. “And just as painful [as] yes, she knows that it is in her mother’s and God’s hands. All she can do is like anyone else, just pray and support.”

On the other hand, she also relied on her father and other family members to help her.

“Richie was always very proud of Ava’s strength and was always there for her,” a source close to the Sambora family told PEOPLE. “When Ava was younger, she didn’t know that anyone else besides her was dealing with the stress of her mom’s problem. As she gets older, she knows she is not alone, and now she understands it better. She realizes that it affects her father as well and they try to help each other.”

Since finishing treatment, Locklear has been spending a lot of time with her daughter and often posts sweet tributes to her on social media. For Ava’s 25th birthday in October 2022, she shared several photos of her daughter at the birthday party and wrote: “Happy birthday to the most wonderful person I know. I love you to the moon and back!!”

“I love you mom 💘,” Ava wrote in the comments. “Thank you very much.”

She is close to her dad

John Shearer/Getty

Sambora was the lead guitarist for Bon Jovi before leaving the band in 2013 to spend more time with Ava. Speaking to PEOPLE in December 2020, the musician said he has “no regrets” about leaving the group.

“I’m lucky enough to have an amazing relationship with my daughter,” he said. “We went through a lot together. It was a time of psychological support for the family. You know, I’m no angel. But I realized Ava should have been around at that moment. Family had to come first, and that’s what happened.”

Leaving the rock and roll lifestyle behind allowed Sambora time to drive her daughter to high school every day, where “the conversation started.”

Ava Sambora says ex-Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora ‘has been such a rock for me throughout my life’

“You get to find out what you need to find out and see how she feels and all that stuff,” he told PEOPLE. “We always had a very open relationship where we talked. I just said, ‘Hey, you can tell me anything. I’ll be on your side.’ ”

Ava told PEOPLE she’s thankful for the deep bond they’ve built over the years. “He was always such a rock in my life,” she said. “He’s always been very supportive and all my dreams… My dad loves me with every bit of him, and I’m so happy to be his daughter.”

She was a cheerleader in high school

Heather Locklear’s Instagram

As a student at Viewpoint High School in California, Ava was a cheerleader. Locklear often shared photos of her daughter cheering on Instagram, including one photo of Ava posing on the field with her parents in 2014.

Despite Sambora’s busy tour schedule, he told PEOPLE in December 2020 that he would fly on a private jet to come home from the road and see his daughter, a gesture she deeply appreciates.

“He showed up at every soccer game I cheered at, every dance recital I performed at, and all my school events no matter how far he had to travel,” Ava told PEOPLE. “He even flew all the way from Australia to surprise me at my cotillion father daughter dance.”

She is a model and an actress

Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

Ava began modeling in March 2010 when she walked the runway at White Trash Beautiful — Sambora and designer Nikki Lund’s clothing line — during LA Fashion Week.

The then 12-year-old strutted down the runway in four different looks, including a black A-line miniskirt and a heart-print T-shirt, while her mum watched from the front row.

“I am very, very proud of her. I’m very excited and I’m here to support her,” Locklear told PEOPLE at the time. “And as soon as she’s done, I’m going to grab her, wipe off her makeup, and put her in her PJs.”

In addition to modeling for her father’s clothing line, Ava has also worked on campaigns for Baes and Bikinis and 138 Water.

Following in her mother’s footsteps, Ava also started acting. She made her film debut in 2012 This is 40.

“She’s amazing. I was like, ‘Ava, did you do what you’re known for?’ And she was like, ‘Oh yeah, Mom, it was good,’ like she’s been doing it forever,” her mom told PEOPLE of watching her daughter star in Judd Apatow’s hit comedy.

A year later, Ava was a guest on an episode of Disney Channel Good luck Charlie. She also had roles in two thrillers: Mama Be Mine (2018) and Dark enemy (2020), the latter starred Ireland Baldwin.

He takes his fashion cues from his mother

Steve Granitz/WireImage

Two decades after her mom wore a “Bon Jovi Forever” shirt to an ABC Summer Press Tour event, Ava showed off the same shirt on Instagram in 2022.

She posted a throwback photo Melrose Place star in an old band T-shirt and a picture of himself in a one-shoulder T-shirt with the caption: “I got it from my mom (Like I literally got this shirt from my mom’s closet 🤪).”

He has two university degrees

Heather Locklear’s Instagram

Ava graduated from Loyola Marymount University in 2020. According to her LinkedIn, she earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in women’s and gender studies.

While Ava was unable to have an in-person graduation ceremony due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Locklear did celebrate her daughter’s great achievement. She shared several photos of graduates on Instagram, including a smiling Ava in a graduation cap.

The proud mom also surprised her daughter by hosting a promotional event with members of her church and firefighters. She posted a video on Instagram of Ava walking down their driveway with a horn blaring in the background and wrote, “My church is celebrating Ava’s graduation. She got a 4.0 this semester.”

Speaking to PEOPLE in April 2020, Sambora revealed how much his daughter was looking forward to the graduation ceremony.

“She’s a little angry because, you know, she graduated in May, and now the pomp and circumstance of the whole graduation thing is gone,” he said. “She was on the dean’s list every year and all that stuff, so she was really looking forward to her graduation.”

In May 2023, Ava got the chance to walk across the stage when she received her Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Southern California.

“[Ava] is so close to her parents and they’ve been very supportive,” a source close to the family told PEOPLE. “Both [Locklear and Sambora] were at her graduation, and the family threw a party at Richie’s house afterward.”

Locklear shared a photo of her daughter walking down the prom stage with the caption, “Such a proud mom. Congratulations my child, with your masters at MFT. With his hard work and perseverance and good heart.”

Later that year, Sambora shared with PEOPLE that Ava was currently working on her Ph.D.

“Ava is killing herself. She’s basically into psychology,” said the rocker dad. “I’m really proud of her. She’s doing really, really well.”

She praised Locklear for helping her deal with her anxiety

Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty

In October 2020, Ava opened up to PEOPLE about living with anxiety in accompanying essays with Locklear. She recalled how her anxiety had become “very debilitating” the year before, and she was experiencing frequent panic attacks.

A student at the time, Ava praised her mother for helping her through such a difficult period. “At any time of the day, she would stop what she was doing and come to comfort me,” she said. “She did everything she could to help me get through those difficult months, from taking me to every doctor’s appointment to giving me tons of books on anxiety management.”

Ava also credited Locklear with teaching her how to open up to her peers about her mental health issues. “Dealing with anxiety can be difficult when you feel like people don’t understand you,” she wrote. “My mom always made me feel heard. She never judged me and made sure I didn’t feel alone.”

Ava Sambora credits mom Heather Locklear for helping her deal with anxiety: ‘She’s selfless’

She added: “This was so important to my mental health and helped me to get on with my life… my mother’s kindness made me feel comfortable enough to open up about my mental health to others. She helped me see that it is possible for others to relate to me and understand my experience.”

In Locklear’s essay, she praised her daughter for her kindness and perseverance. “Ava is an example to me that I always try to find the good in someone. I have watched her from afar and up close throughout her life and I aspire to be as much like her as possible. Her kindness is contagious – said the proud mom.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education