U2 frontman Bono is a rock star through-and-through, but while rock stars are stereotypically synonymous with bachelorhood and infidelity, Bono has been with his high-school sweetheart for five decades.
Here’s everything to know about Bono’s wife, Ali Hewson.
WHO IS BONO’S WIFE, ALI HEWSON?
Ali Hewson (née Stewart) is an Irish activist and businesswoman. She studied sociology and political science at University College Dublin, and began a career in humanitarian work in 1989.
She is passionate about various causes and has worked closely with numerous charities over the years. Ali spent five weeks as an aid volunteer in Ajibar, alongside Bono, during the 1985 famine in Ethiopia, and participated in anti-nuclear Greenpeace protests in 1992.
She is particularly interested in the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster, and is a long-standing patron of Chernobyl Children International.
IS BONO STILL MARRIED TO HIS WIFE?
Paul Hewson, AKA Bono, first met Ali Hewson while attending their North Dublin high school when he was just 12 years old, but it wasn’t until they were 16 that their romance began.
They entered a relationship in 1976 – the same year that U2 was formed, and tied the knot a few years later in August 1982.
Over forty years later, Bono and Ali are still happily married, with the singer opening up about their relationship in his 2022 memoir, Surrender.
When speaking about how the band impacted their life as a couple, Bono shared, “Ali would have been happier with a life that was simpler than the one we’ve ended up with… Though not demanding in any selfish way, Ali had never been ‘just’ my girlfriend, and now she was never going to be ‘just’ my wife.
“She was also realising that there were three other men in her marriage. Men whom she was more than fond of, but men who were taking her man away, not just in his wild imaginings, but physically, all over the world.”
Over the years, Bono has reflected on his marriage, and has credited their foundation of friendship as the reason for their successful relationship.
Speaking at the New Yorker Festival in 2022, Bono said, “If you ask me seriously, friendship can outpace romantic love, sometimes. And friendship is what myself and Ali have. When you have romantic love and friendship, that’s really something special.”
He also spoke about their friendship in December 2022, telling CBS Mornings, “Our relationship began with of course the obvious romance and flirtation, but it quickly moved into friendship, and I think that’s a real part of who we are.”
It’s likely that Bono’s upcoming documentary, Bono: Stories of Surrender, will uncover more details about his wife and marriage.
HOW MANY CHILDREN DO BONO AND HIS WIFE HAVE?
Bono and Ali share four children together: two daughters and two sons.
The couple’s eldest child, daughter Jordan Hewson, was born on 10 May 1989 – Bono’s 29th birthday!
Jordan studied political science at Columbia University and later earned her Master’s Degree in creative writing. She also founded a tech company called Speakable in 2016, which is aimed at promoting social activism.
Bono and Ali’s second child, daughter Eve Hewson, was born on 7 July 1991 and she is now an actress.
She has starred in several TV series including The Perfect Couple, Bad Sisters and Behind Her Eyes.
Elijah Hewson, Bono and Ali’s third child and eldest son, was born on 17 August 1999, and has followed in his father’s footsteps with a career in music.
He is the frontman of an Irish rock band called Inhaler.
Bono and Ali’s fourth and youngest child, son John Hewson, was born on 21 May 2001.
John is the most private of the Hewson children, and has remained out of the spotlight for the majority of his life.
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