One of my all-time favorite celebrities is Heather Locklear.
The blue-eyed beauty ascended through the ranks and earned millions of dollars as a star of series like Dynasty and Melrose Place. However, she has had ugly divorces and controversies in her romantic life.
Continue reading to find out why the star’s family is so concerned and feels “helpless” about her present way of life, as well as the circumstances that contributed to her regrettable deterioration.
It can be so harsh in Hollywood. One minute you’re a millionaire, and the next they treat you like trash. Ask Heather Locklear; she is well-versed in it.
Numerous tabloids have covered her personal troubles in recent years, taking great pleasure in her claimed drinking and drug misuse. In actuality, though, Heather Locklear’s traumas started at a young age.
Twice, tragedy touched me
We’ve witnessed this countless times: a typical All-American girl achieves a remarkable achievement. She has high-profile connections and is attractive and successful. High school was when it all began for Heather.
She was difficult to miss with her brilliant grin, large blue eyes, and blonde hair. Many at the time likened her to the renowned Farrah Fawcett.
Therefore, everything appeared to be ideal from the outside. But did it actually happen that way?
A different image emerges when one looks at the Melrose Place star’s previous interviews. She battled self-image difficulties as a young woman, despite her ultimate success and notoriety.
Heather said she had “bony elbows, acne, and braces” and was a timid youngster. Despite being deemed too thin and frail, she longed to join her high school cheer team.
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However, there were no significant problems at home, and Heather has characterized her early years as joyful and loving.
The actress has frequently complimented her parents’ solid marriage and talked well of them. Her father was a retired Marine Corps colonel, and her mother worked as a production executive.
Heather told the New York Times, “My father was a Marine colonel, very loving, but there would be a look in his eyes when he was displeased.”
A family tragedy
But Heather’s early years were marred by awful events that no kid should have to witness firsthand.
Her uncle killed himself when she was just sixteen. A 27-year-old relative of Locklear also committed himself in 1986 by shooting himself with a revolver.
The Locklear family was rocked by the terrible deaths. Even now, when the awful incidents come up in conversation, Heather freezes.
When Heather became well-known, the TV audience was unaware of this. She was perceived by many as a “nice girl” who was nearly uninteresting. Her first marriage, however, was to change all of this. Because the individual she married was everything but typical.
Dancing beside Tom Cruise
Heather was frequently spotted in the arms of rock stars and other gifted performers following her success in the prime-time serial drama Dynasty.
Tom Cruise and Heather Locklear were rather fond of one another during an audition in the early 1980s. Although they weren’t dating, Heather talked about their exciting evening together on a Chelsea Lately episode.
Heather claims that because Tom didn’t have many acquaintances in Tinseltown at the time, the two of them made the decision to get together one evening. Naturally, Tom was overjoyed to spend the evening with such a large and stunning celebrity as Heather. Even though Tom was a budding actor who had achieved success with Risky Business, he was not nearly as good as Heather.
It seems that Tom Cruise showed off some of his insane stunts from Risky Business, which confused Heather a little. She remembered, “You just kind of stand there and don’t know what to do,” and went on, “Do you dance around him?”
The actress made the decision to observe from a distance while Cruise performed his magic. The pair didn’t go on any more dates after that night, so that was the end of it
The friendship between Scott Baio
Scott Baio was a huge sensation in the 1980s because to his charisma, acting prowess, and parts in well-liked TV series. A lot of females were interested in the Hollywood star at this time, but he ended up falling for Heather Locklear.
Scott Baio said to People that “Heather Locklear is the greatest chick in the world, and I just ruined it.” She was the first female he ever fell in love with.
When Battle of the Network Stars was being filmed in 1983, the two got to know one another. Scott fell deeply in love with Heather after being mesmerized by her attractiveness. Although they both felt the same way, their relationship ultimately failed. Why? Scott Baio was unable to make a significant commitment.
Having a relationship with Mark Harmon
Mark Harmon, star of NCIS, hasn’t always been wed to Pam Dawber. Mark was one of Hollywood’s most sought-after bachelors before to their marriage.
Scott Baio and Heather Locklear (Photo by Barry King/WireImage)
He was even ranked the sexiest guy alive by People magazine in 1986. Though he may not have completely appreciated his own fame, Mark could have had his pick of unmarried ladies in Hollywood at the time, since he was making waves as Dr. Robert Caldwell on St. Elsewhere. His co-star Cristina Pickles, who portrayed St. Elsewhere’s nurse Helen Rosenthal, once made a comment about the way women responded to Harmon’s appearance.
In 1986, she told People, “Women love that handsome face because it shows Mark’s sensitivity.” “I don’t think he understands how he affects women.”
Actress Donna Mills remarked, “Forget Mel Gibson.” “I always ask myself, ‘Your place or mine?'” when I see Mark.
Naturally, Mark Harmon had caught Heather Locklear’s eye as well, and the two had a brief liaison in 1984. It is likely that they would have been a wonderful pair, but destiny had other ideas. The NCIS actress claims that their affair was brief.
Mark claimed that it started around Christmas [in 1984] but ended by New Year’s, and he described Heather as “just an emotional cup of coffee to me.”
Initial marriage
Heather Locklear began dating Tommy Lee, the fast-living drummer for Mötley Crüe, in 1985. At a REO Speedwagon show, the two initially crossed paths.
I found the image thrilling since he was a naughty lad. Perhaps it was a form of rebellion on my part,” she remarked.
Unfortunately, the marriage didn’t last long. The couple remained married for over eight years in spite of this.
Sygma/Barry King via Getty Images
For a short while, I truly adored Tommy,” she remarked. “I tried my hardest.”
Originally, they intended to be together forever, and Heather frequently mentioned getting married only once.
In an interview with People soon after their marriage, Tommy Lee said with excitement, “I think we’ll be the coolest grandma and grandpa in the world.” “We’ll be around 85 or 90; Heather will still be stunning, and I’ll still be a rock pig.”
The pair parted ways in 1993, but Heather would soon fall in love once more.
Richie Sambora and Heather Locklear
Heather Locklear fell in love again a year after her divorce, this time with Bon Jovi’s lead guitarist and rock icon Richie Sambora. During one of Heather’s Melrose Place PR tours, they met in New York.
Heather and Richie experienced early difficulties since they lived on different coasts of the United States, she in California and he in New Jersey, amid rumors that she had not given herself enough time to recover from her previous failed marriage. But the pair appeared to manage despite their distance from one another.
They were married at a civil service in New Jersey in 1994. Not satisfied with a single celebration, the newlyweds soon headed for another ceremony in Paris.
The then-33-year-old Dynasty/T.J. Hooker/Melrose Place star, who had previously been married to the crazy Tommy Lee, said she found something unique and wonderful in Richie Sambora.
Cohen, L./WireImage
In 1998, she said about Sambora, “He’s very grounded, really family oriented, and very close to his parents.” “My personality is exactly the same as Richie’s. We reflect one another.
However, Sambora had also had a strong rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle; among other things, there were reports that he dated Cher. However, his life changed when he met Heather.
He remembered, “I had a great time dating women.” However, I knew I was done the moment I met my wife. That was it. I believe she experienced the same thing.
In contrast to her previous marriage, Heather claims that her second marriage was completely different.
In 1996, she remarked, “I handled it so differently from my first marriage,” adding:
“This is who I am, and this is what I want,” I informed him.
Weekends were spent at the couple’s mountain house outside of Los Angeles at Lake Arrowhead.
We are so dull. We eat the same meals at the same three places when we go out to supper. Heather remarked, “We like to sit around and talk.”
Despite their fame, Heather and Richie appeared to lead a typical married life in many respects.
According to Jamie Bufalino, senior editor of People magazine, “they were a perfect couple by all accounts.” “Their relationship was envied by many of their friends.”
The couple’s sole child, daughter Ava, was born in 1997. Ava was frequently spotted on stage at Jon Bon Jovi concerts when she was a little child. She occasionally danced with the band members and introduced them to the crowd.
As the daughter of two famous people, her mediocre childhood might have easily turned into a nightmare. However, it appears that she did well; according to this article, Ava is a very intelligent and well-educated woman today.
Her parents’ marriage, however, did not fare as well.
Splitting from Sambora
The couple’s disagreements centered on whether to have a second child, according to certain tabloids, which fueled rumors of their imminent split.
Heather and Richie finally had to respond to the claims when the rumors got out of hand.
The truth is that there isn’t a tale at all. Actually, we are still blissfully married after 11 years of dating. In a joint statement to the New York Daily News in December 2005, the pair remarked, “Boring but true.”
L. Cohen/WireImage photo of Heather Locklear, Richie Sambora, and daughter Ava Elizabeth
The course of events changed a few months later. Heather Locklear filed for divorce after eleven years of marriage. She gave the standard explanation for celebrity divorces: irreconcilable differences. from the consequences of Heather’s divorce petition were everything from ordinary.
It all began in February 2006 when Heather’s publicist announced the divorce. The issue was that Richie Sambora was unaware of his wife’s desire to end their marriage.
The rock star, who had been on tour recently, was surprised to hear the news because it seems that the word did not reach him. When reporters inquired about the couple’s relationship, he retaliated. Richie asserted that he was currently planning Valentine’s Day with his wife and that the rumors of their divorce were “wholly false.”
In actuality, though, Heather had filed for divorce. And more and more shady information started to surface as the days passed. People said that Heather had discovered an email that a lady they both knew had sent to Richie Sambora. The email included images that were provocative.
The last straw was that finding, which left Heather “utterly devastated.” However, Sambora strongly disputes any indiscretion in the marriage.
What happened to Denise Richards and Heather Locklear?
However, her divorce’s complications didn’t stop there. A breach also developed between Heather and her close friend Denise Richards as a result of the split. Richie Sambora started seeing Denise shortly after the divorce, and Denise was also going through a difficult and well-publicized breakup with Charlie Sheen. The two spouses knew each other well since Charlie and Heather had become friends while working together on the television program Spin City.
As a result of the divorces, Denise and Richie eventually became lovers, which naturally upset Heather. Although Denise has denied it, there were rumors that Heather’s divorce was actually caused by a potential romance between Richie and Denise. However, it is evident that Heather was severely harmed by Richie and Denise’s connection.
In 2006, Denise Richards said to Entertainment Tonight, “The thing with Heather, that’s been hard.” “You can’t control who you fall for, and that friendship was regrettably over and irreparable.”
Denise claims that she and Heather were never “best friends” and that, contrary to several untrue tales, she did not take her friend’s spouse. When she fell in love with Richie, she didn’t want to get involved with him, but it was inevitable.
The reason she and Sambora were drawn to one other was because we were buddies and going through divorces. I didn’t take a husband from anyone. Have I dated the ex-husband of a former friend? Indeed. Have I ended a marriage? Richards told Us Weekly, “No.”
Denise Richards and Richie Sambora’s romance didn’t last long. Despite their breakup in early 2007, they continued to be friends. In 2011, the couple tried again, but eventually chose to remain friends.
Today’s relationship
Despite their turbulent divorce, Heather and Richie have been able to keep their positive connection going. Speaking to People several years after their breakup, Richie Sambora disclosed that he and Heather are still in love.
Old wounds do heal with time. I mean, I know Heather loves me, and I still love her. Man, she is my child’s mother. “What do you have to say?” Richie clarified.
Naturally, their cherished daughter Ava is essential to keeping their lines of communication open. Both of her parents are tremendously supportive, and when Ava Sambora walked the runway at the White Trash Beautiful Spring 2011 Fashion Show, Heather and Richie were there, standing side by side. Additionally, they have had several Thanksgivings and Christmases together.
We’re excellent. For [our daughter’s] sake, it’s really much more than that,” Richie stated in a 2012 interview with Access Hollywood. “Heather and I have a great deal of respect for one another, and I believe that since we are no longer married, our friendship has grown.”
As many people are aware, Heather Locklear has had a difficult few years. She has battled alcohol and drug addiction and has been arrested several times. When someone posing as Locklear’s doctor contacted 911 in 2008 and reported that the celebrity was attempting suicide, it was the first concerning indication.
Police looked into the situation when emergency personnel raced to her home, but Heather’s spokesperson later claimed the alarm was unfounded. But the cops thought the call was real.
Sadly, Heather’s degeneration persisted, and she has already undergone 20 addiction treatment sessions. Shortly after that terrifying conversation in 2008, the six-time Golden Globe nominee entered herself into a medical facility in Arizona to receive therapy for depression and anxiety. After Locklear experienced drinking problems once more and was arrested for domestic abuse and battery on a police officer in 2018, Richie Sambora disclosed that he had enlisted a group of experts to provide treatment for her.
In order for Heather to stay at a long-term care facility where she could receive assistance from some of the top physicians and psychiatrists, Richie helped organize and pay for it.
The Ventura County Sheriff’s Department.
Naturally, I will always support Heather, and especially Ava. Richie Sambora told the Daily Mail, “I am really proud of my daughter for her fortitude and poise at this trying period.
Heather has supposedly been clean for several years and appears to have been more stable in recent years. Regretfully, some unsettling photos of her were released in 2023, raising concerns about her health once more.
Photos of Locklear acting strangely and talking to herself in public were made public by the New York Post, which sparked worries that she could be experiencing problems once more.
We genuinely hope Heather is having a good day. With all that goes along with it, becoming as famous on television as she was is no small feat.
However, she appears to be a very amazing woman, so we wish her the best health possible and hope she continues to be happy for many years to come. As she continues her journey, let’s give her love and good thoughts.
