Millie Bobby Brown and Jake Bongiovi love married life.
The Stranger Things actress and the son of music icon Jon Bon Jovi first sparked romance rumors in June 2021, when Bongiovi — also an actor — posted a photo of the two on Instagram, writing, “bff <3.” They wouldn’t stay in the friend zone for long, though, as Brown and Bongiovi went Instagram official that November. The pair quietly got married in May 2024, before exchanging vows again that October.
During a February 2025 conversation with Vanity Fair, Brown opened up about feeling confident going into her marriage with Bongiovi, describing them as “pretty united.”
“We talked about our political views, what kind of family we want to build, the kind of home we want to live in, the kind of relationship we’re looking for, the kind of careers we want,” she said. “It’s such an important decision, and we wanted to make sure we were making the right one.”
“I knew I was. It always felt right with him,” Brown continued, later adding that “he is the first man [she has] ever loved and been in love with.”
From their unique engagement to the details of their wedding days, here’s everything to know about Millie Bobby Brown and Jake Bongiovi’s relationship.
They’ve been romantically linked since June 2021
The actors first sparked romance rumors in June 2021 when Bongiovi posted a friendly photo of the pair on Instagram. That same month, Brown and Bongiovi were spotted walking hand-in-hand around New York City together.
The two kept their romance quiet for months until they hard-launched their relationship on Instagram in November 2021, when the Damsel star shared a photo of her beau kissing her on the cheek in London.
In March 2022, Brown and Bongiovi made their red carpet debut at the 2022 BAFTA Film Awards in London, and have attended many events together since, including the premieres of Stranger Things season 4, Enola Holmes 2 and most recently, The Electric State.
They met on Instagram
During a November 2022 interview with WIRED, the actress opened up about the early days of her relationship with Bongiovi.
“We met on Instagram,” she said. “And we were friends for a bit, and then, what can I say?”
Now, the pair frequently express their love for each another on the social media platform. After New Year’s Day in 2023, Brown shared a carousel of photos on Instagram reflecting back on 2022, writing that she was “endlessly in love” with the year she had and shouting out her partner for his part in it.
“Grateful for my friends, family, donkey (bernard), my doggies, my puppies teeth, and my partner for life,” she captioned the post. “Here’s to another year with you and the wonderful people and animals around us 🤍 let’s do it again but better!”
Bongiovi replied in the comments, “Your year babe love you so much ❤️.”
That November, Bongiovi shared a sweet Instagram message of his own to congratulate his then-fiancée on being named one of Glamour‘s Global Woman of the Year.
“There was not a dry eye in the house mine definitely weren’t,” he wrote. “Congratulations sweetheart you deserve it ❤️.”
Bongiovi proposed to Brown underwater
Brown and Bongiovi got engaged in April 2023. The actress announced the news by posting a photo on Instagram captioned with lyrics from Taylor Swift’s “Lover,” writing, “I’ve loved you three summers now, honey, I want ’em all 🤍.”
In August 2023, Brown shared with The Sunday Times that Bongiovi proposed with one of her mother’s own rings.
“I’ve always loved that ring, it’s always stuck out to me, so she gave it to Jake. They were in cahoots about the whole proposal,” she said. “I love that I can always keep a piece of my mum with me.”
So, where did he pop the big question? Under water.
During a February 2024 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Brown revealed that Bongiovi proposed while the two were scuba diving on vacation.
“We go under, and we’re many meters down. He gives me a shell and I turn it over and it’s a ring,” she said, describing her response as an “okay” hand symbol before they “freaked out.”
“Anyways, he puts the ring on my hand, and as I go to show him, the ring falls off my finger, plummets like, so fast, it was like a cinematic movie,” she continued. “Jake threw himself, like so deep … he does a cinematic grab, opens and he saved the ring.”
As it turns out, though, Brown’s mother wouldn’t let Bongiovi take her ring underwater because she knew he would “drop it.” So, he used a different ring during the proposal and then presented the real thing when they returned to shore. “It was very magical,” Brown said.
They got married in May 2024 — and again that October with her Stranger Things on-screen father officiating
After a few years of dating, Brown and Bongiovi secretly tied the knot in May 2024.
According to The Sun, Bon Jovi and his wife Dorothea, along with Brown’s parents were in attendance, but it was a “very low-key, romantic affair.”
That October, the pair hosted a dreamy Italian wedding at Villa Cetinale, where they exchanged vows for a second time surrounded by friends and family — including her fictional on-screen one!
Matthew Modine, who played Brown’s father, a.k.a. “Papa,” in Stranger Things, officiated the special day. The actor told Vanity Fair that he was “surprised” at how emotional he became during the vows.
“I’d been witness to so much of Millie’s private life and her professional career — and I’d seen her grow from that adorable child into a beautiful and thoughtful adult,” he said. “I was with her when she first met young Jake. And now she’s beginning a whole new life with such a kind man.”
Brown instantly knew Bongiovi was “the one”
During her conversation with The Sunday Times, Brown admitted that she knew Bongiovi was “the one” early on.
“I ran to my mum and said, ‘I really, really like him!’ After we met we knew we never wanted to leave each other’s side,” she said. “You can’t pinpoint why, it’s just the feeling of knowing that that’s the person you want to spend the rest of your time with.”
Brown has opened up about wanting to start a family in the future
With her wedding year behind her, Brown is already looking forward to the future — including starting a family.
During a March 2025 appearance on the Smartless podcast, Brown shared that although she is “really young,” starting a family is “definitely in [her] future.”
“My mom actually had her first child at 21, and my dad was 19. And you know, it’s been my thing since before I met Jake,” Brown said. “Since I was a baby, I told my mom, like, baby dolls. I wanted to be a mom just like the way my mom was to me.”
She added, “Jake knows how important it is to me and, of course, I want to focus on really establishing myself as an actor and as a producer, but I also find it’s so important to start a family for me personally.”
The actress also expressed that she wants a “big family,” and that they are both open to the idea of adopting.
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