Former Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora shared a series of new posts addressing the controversy surrounding his comments about Jon Bon Jovi’s comeback performance at Madison Square Garden. Sambora’s original post harshly criticized Bon Jovi’s performance and referenced his former bandmate’s vocal surgery. It was later deleted after drawing significant backlash from fans.
Following the criticism, Sambora announced he would be stepping back from social media. He explained that he had been tracking down accounts he believed were attacking him.
“I’ll never leave my fans. But taking a break from social media. What I say you know who’s team makes people dislike me and blasphemes me,” Sambora said.
After his brief absence, Sambora returned to social media with an update on what he described as a period of deliberate observation.
“Breaks over.. just flushing out the assholes. I left their tweets on so I could track them down. Little detective work..a lot of them random attack celebrity’s, some get paid some don’t. Some just don’t dig me..all good,” he continued.
Sambora then addressed the deleted post directly, claiming his account had been compromised. He also shifted focus to upcoming music projects.
“Told ya I been hacked. Me and Bob Rock have 2 albums in the can. It’s coming. I’m getting over a broken hand and a Company to release it properly. I’ve funded my tours and bands. Good people and touring and trucks buses, trust me is expensive as hell. Thx for your interest,” he added.
His now-deleted original post had read: “Did you watch? That sounded good? Your deaf. He doesn’t want me there — he [made] a 6 hour movie about his plastic throat and how he would win.. take a listen.. then really set himself up to the hero. Surgery didn’t work. If he had a voice we’d have killed it. Why would I lie. There’s so much that you don’t know. So please stop bothering me. There’s a lot there you don’t know.. ok?”
Sambora has not provided further evidence to support the hacking claim. No additional statements from Bon Jovi’s camp have been issued in response.
The episode marks the latest chapter in a long and complicated public separation between Sambora and the band he helped build into one of rock’s biggest acts over three decades.
Sambora departed Bon Jovi in 2013 during the band’s Because We Can Tour. His exit was described at the time as a personal decision. He was never officially replaced, and the split was never fully explained to the public, leaving fans and industry observers to speculate about the circumstances for years. Sambora has since made occasional comments suggesting the departure was not entirely on his own terms. Tensions between him and Jon Bon Jovi have surfaced periodically in interviews and on social media.
Jon Bon Jovi’s vocal struggles have been widely documented. The frontman underwent vocal cord surgery in 2022 after years of declining vocal ability. He addressed the condition openly in the 2024 documentary Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story. The film chronicled both the band’s rise and the personal and professional challenges Bon Jovi faced, including the impact of his vocal deterioration on the group’s future. Sambora’s deleted comments appeared to be a direct response to the documentary and the band’s subsequent return to the stage.
Bob Rock, whom Sambora mentioned as his collaborator on two completed albums, is one of rock music’s most accomplished producers. Rock produced several of Bon Jovi’s most commercially successful records, including Keep the Faith and These Days. He has also worked extensively with artists including Metallica, Motley Crue, and Michael Buble. His involvement in Sambora’s solo project signals a serious and well-resourced effort to return to the mainstream music landscape.
Sambora’s last solo album, Aftermath of the Lowdown, was released in 2012, just one year before his departure from Bon Jovi. Since then, he has made sporadic live appearances and public statements but has not released new music. The announcement of two completed albums, if accurate, would represent his most significant musical output in over a decade. It would also mark his first major project entirely independent of the Bon Jovi name.
