Jon Bon Jovi reacts to criticism of son's engagement to Millie Bobby ...

4 May 2023

The people's voice of Greater Manchester

The people's voice of Greater Manchester

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"I don't know if age really matters."

Jon Bon Jovi has finally spoken out publicly after his son and Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown announced their engagement.

It’s fair to say the showbiz world blew up a bit when the British actress, who is best-known for her starring role as Eleven on Netflix’s hit show Stranger Things, hopped on social media to casually announce one Tuesday morning that wedding bells were ringing.

The 19-year-old confirmed that her boyfriend, 20-year-old Jake Bongiovi, had popped the question and the two were now engaged.

The young star took to Instagram to share a beaming black and white photo showing off a huge ring on her left hand and her now-fiancé embracing her – with the confirming caption: “I’ve loved you three summers now, honey, I want ’em all.”

Jake also proclaimed it was “forever” for the pair in a series of engagement announcement pictures he shared on his Instagram.

The couple are believed to have been in a relationship for three years, and struck up their romance after connecting on Instagram.

Of course, given the fact that many would consider the relationship to be in the relatively early stages, and the fact that Millie Bobby Brown is a child star who first rose to stardom after appearing on our screens at the age of 11, the engagement was slammed by fans.

Their young age, though, was what appeared to draw the most public criticism.

But aside from the age of the pair, the other major talking point was that many were shocked to learn that Jake Bongiovi is, in fact, the son of rockstar Jon Bon Jovi – which left many questioning what the legendary Bon Jovi frontman thought of the engagement, and if he would ever publicly address the situation at any point.

Now, Jon has spoken out to have his say on everything during an interview with SiriusXM’s Andy Cohen Live yesterday.

When host Andy Cohen asked the 61-year-old rocker if he was worried about Jake and Millie getting engaged at such a young age, Jon responded that he “doesn’t know if age matters”.

He explained: “If you find the right partner and you grow together, I think that would be my advice really, growing together is wise. I think that all of my kids have found the people that they think they can grow together with, and we like them all.”

The rockstar also added that Millie is “wonderful”.

“Her whole family are great, and Jake is very, very happy,” Jon concluded.

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Jon Bon Jovi’s decision not to buy into the public concern of his son’s engagement will likely make sense to fans who know the musician himself found love at a young age and married his high school sweetheart, Dorothea.

Jon and Dorothea have four children together, with Jake being the second youngest.

Featured Image – Jake Bongiovi (via Instagram)

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Bury AFC pays touching tribute to dedicated super fan Amanda Freeman after her death Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Amanda Freeman

Bury AFC has shared a moving tribute after the death of one of their most dedicated supporters, Amanda Freeman.

The fan-owned Greater Manchester club described her as a ‘dedicated volunteer and loyal Shaker’, who was ‘always smiling’.

Amanda, known to most as Mandy, was the daughter of legendary super fan Keith Freeman, who died in 2014.

Speaking of her passing, Bury AFC wrote: “We are devastated to report the passing of a well-loved and dedicated Bury supporter, Amanda Freeman. A ‘Her Game Too’ advocate, fundraiser & tunnel steward.

“Always smiling, go a million miles for anyone, dedicated volunteer and loyal Shaker who will be dearly missed by all.

“Mandy competed in her beloved maroon team Bury AFC Women Recreational, being a valued member of the team.

“Our thoughts are with partner Martin & all their friends and family at this sad time. Sleep well, Mandy.”

They then added: “Mandy was not only a team member, she was the epitome of what our club stands for. Passionate, loyal, selfless and gave her all to her beloved club and her team maroon. She will be missed by all, sleep well Mandy.”

Bury FC also shared a tribute, writing: “REST IN PEACE MANDY. We are saddened to hear about the loss of Mandy Freeman.

“Mandy was not just a Bury fan through and through, but also much-loved and will now be sorely missed. Our thoughts and condolences go to her family. From her #ShakersFamily.”

Tributes and well-wishes have been pouring in from other members of the club’s community.

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Her Game Too, a non-profit that raises awareness for sexism in the game, wrote: “We are so saddened and heartbroken to hear of Mandy’s passing, she truly was a lovely lady and she will be missed by so many, RIP Mandy.”

Another person commented: “Our Mandy! You beautiful lovely lady- such a wonderful smile and such a friendly loving person- sleep well Mandy Jane – I’m absolutely heartbroken that you have gone – but so humbled to have called you a friend. We had such good times in our Bury AFC family – you will always be apart of us.”

Someone else posted: “A massive loss to everyone, can’t believe we will never play alongside each other again I’m absolutely gutted. The most kind, caring and selfless person you could meet who always had a smile on her face. Glad we met you will always be our teammate and with us always. A true legend! x”

Featured image: Facebook, Bury AFC

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Boy, 16, among four arrested after police find £1 million drugs stash in car boot in Bolton Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

A teenager is among four people who have been arrested after police in Bolton conducted patrols to “deter serious violence from streets” this past weekend.

As part of Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) ongoing ‘Operation Venture’ – which was set up back in 2022 to tackle violent crime and serious criminality across Greater Manchester – officers were deployed to Bolton this past Saturday (29 April), and spotted a “suspicious car” parked up on Chorley Road while they were doing their rounds.

According to GMP, the officers decided to act on their suspicions and initially approached to search the car and the occupants under the misuse of drugs act, before further searches led to the seizure of “a significant amount” of snap bags containing what is believed to be cocaine and around £1,000 in cash.

On top of this, another vehicle was stopped a short time later on Victory Street in a different area of Bolton, and following searches, three sealed packages were found in the boot.

The sealed packages were believed to be of class A drugs around 10 kilos in weight, according to GMP – with an estimated street value of £1 million pounds.

After the day of targeted searches, in the end, four men Four men between the ages of 16 and 49 were arrested on suspicion of Possession with Intent to Supply, GMP has confirmed, and they were each taken into custody ahead of being questioned by officers.

Speaking on the success of Operation Venture in Bolton so far, Chief Inspector Justine Topping from GMP’s Bolton District said: “Having additional resources available to deploy through Operation Venture means that we can tackle serious crimes robustly to make Bolton a safer place to live and work.

“The action highlights our endeavour to take illegal supply from our streets.

“Officers from Operation Venture are out and about every night working hard and patrolling hotspot areas to keep communities across Greater Manchester safe, so if you see our officers out and about, you can speak to them about any concerns you might have.

“We all have a part to play in fighting, preventing and reducing crime.”

Victory Street in Bolton / Credit: Google Maps

Greater Manchester Police is also encouraging anyone with any information about crime in their area to report it, no matter how big or small.

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This can be done through GMP’s LiveChat facility at gmp.police.uk, or alternatively, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, while 11-17 year olds can pass on information anonymously through the dedicated platform Fearless.org.

“In an emergency, always dial 999,” GMP concludes.

Featured Image – GMP

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