Richie Sambora Calls Bon Jovi ‘The Mafia’ In His Public Apology !

In Hulu’s ‘Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story,’ Sambora talks about his last-minute decision not to show up for a show during 2013’s ‘Because We Can’ tour. As per Entertainment Weekly, Sambora said he was sorry for the way he left Bon Jovi, but it was what was needed:

“I don’t regret leaving the situation, but I regret how I did it. So I’d like 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. I guess if you’re in the mafia, the only thing you possibly do is disappear. And I did.”

Sambora’s sudden exit didn’t stop Bon Jovi from continuing their tour. Phil X stepped in to replace him, and the band completed all 80 shows they planned. Jon Bon Jovi said in the documentary that the tour became the top-earning tour in the world that year.

Sambora told People in 2020 that he left because he needed to take care of his own health and spend more time with his daughter:

“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]. We’ve been through a lot of things together. That was a time of psychological maintenance for the family. 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.”

So, he doesn’t regret his decision to leave, but he feels bad about how it happened. He also hinted that he might be open to rejoining the band someday.

Sambora wasn’t pleased with how he was shown in some parts of the series. His reps told People the following not long ago:

“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 watched the documentary with Jon Bon Jovi at Jovi’s house. The singer said they had no hard feelings towards each other, but he wasn’t expecting Sambora to return to the band anytime soon.

‘Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story’ is now available for streaming on Hulu.