Sambora Blindsided by Locklear's Divorce Announcement

ByABC News
February 2, 2006, 10:00 PM

WASHINGTON, Feb. 2, 2006 — -- Heather Locklear announced Thursday evening that she had filed for divorce -- but it was news to her husband, rocker Richie Sambora.

More than an hour after Locklear's publicist spread the word that their 11-year-marriage was kaput, the Bon Jovi guitarist told ABC News Radio in an exclusive interview that things were fine at home.

"It's completely untrue," he insisted, adding that he had Valentine's Day plans with his wife.

Nevertheless, the "Spin City" actress had already set the legal wheels in motion, and her spokeswoman, CeCe York, was spreading the word.

"After 10 years of marriage, Heather Locklear has filed for divorce from Richie Sambora," the rep said in a statement hours earlier. "This is a private matter and there will be no further comment at this time."

The message was apparently not delivered to the rocker, who has been touring recently, and he spoke with ABC shortly before a show at Washington's MCI Center.

Even when confronted with the report, which had then hit the news wires, he spoke lovingly of Locklear.

"I'm going home," said Sambora, who says that Locklear sometimes joins him when he's touring.

"Heather was just up for our anniversary and that was Dec. 15 I was home for like two and a half weeks over Christmas, and I have a month off in March, so it's going to be good."

Sambora, 46, is a founding member of Bon Jovi. Locklear, his 44-year-old wife is one of TV's most familiar faces, having gained fame in the early 1980s as sexy Sammy Jo Dean Carrington on "Dynasty." She's also been a regular on "T.J. Hooker," "Melrose Place" and "Spin City." She recently appeared in the film, "The Perfect Man."

Locklear was previously married to rock star Tommy Lee. They divorced after seven years in 1993.

Sambora and Locklear -- who have an 8-year-old daughter -- had been hounded by rumors of a breakup. After tabloid reports that they'd fighting over having a second child, they issued a joint statement to the New York Daily News in December saying, "The real story is that there is no story. The truth is that after 11 years together, we are still happily married. Boring but true."

In the interview this evening, Sambora was asked if there were any more kids in his future.

"I wish," he said. "I mean it just gets to the point where women just go, 'I don't want to go through that again.' For us it's easy -- we point and shoot."

While fatherhood is demanding, Sambora said he enjoys it. "At the end of it, it's worth it, yeah, but I mean, really, it's a good two years of your life, you know, for each kid."

Reported by Leah Ricciuti in Washington, D.C. Michelle Ruiz and Buck Wolf in New York contributed to this report.