Richie Sambora shocked his fans when he recently revealed that he would return to the band Bon Jovi if frontman Jon Bon Jovi recovers enough from vocal surgery to perform again. Now, Bon Jovi himself has responded to this.

Bon Jovi Responds To Sambora

Bon Jovi, 62, told Entertainment Weekly that a decision about Sambora’s potential return has not yet been made.

“You never say never,” he explained. “I mean, he quit the band 11-plus years ago, and he’s had to deal with a lot of things in his life. But there’s no animosity.”

Bon Jovi went on to point out that a lot has changed since Sambora left their band back in 2013.

“I’ve made four albums since his departure. The band goes on, you know?” he said. “We’ll see when we get to that point of touring.”

Sambora Talks Bon Jovi Exit

This comes after Sambora apologized for suddenly quitting the band eleven year ago. He issued this apology while appearing in the recent Hulu docuseries Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story.

“I don’t regret leaving the situation, but I regret how I did it,” he said. “So I’d like to apologize fully right now to the fans, especially, and also to the guys, because my feet and my spirit were just not letting me walk out the door.”

When Sambora, 64, left Bon Jovi, he cited personal issues. He later told People Magazine that he left the band because he wanted to spend more time with his daughter. Watch Sambora talk more about his exit in the video below.

Bon Jovi said in a recent interview that he was glad that Sambora finally “came clean” about why he left their band.

“I guess it would end all the speculation that there was ever a fight [in the group] or any of that stuff,” he said. “Because — as I’d stated 1,000 times — that was not the case. Just not the case.”

Watch Bon Jovi talk more about this in the video below.

Related: Richie Sambora Confirms That He Would Return To Bon Jovi – Under One Condition

Bon Jovi’s Vocal Surgery

Though Sambora’s potential return hinges on Bon Jovi’s recovery from vocal surgery, Bon Jovi isn’t rushing this process.

“The point is, I got to be able to do two and a half hours a night, four nights a week, before I’m gonna say yes,” Bon Jovi recently said. “And then, God willing, we can take it out on the road and get out there with the people and then see their reaction to it.”

Bon Jovi had the vocal surgery in the summer of 2022 after having issues with his vocal cords for several years.

“I was overusing it,” Bon Jovi recently told NPR of his voice. “Even though I’m trained and I have studied the craft for these 40 years, eventually the body gives out. It’s not dissimilar to being an athlete.”

Watch Bon Jovi talk more about his surgery in the video below.

Related: Inside Jon Bon Jovi’s World: Fame, Family, And Wealth

Bon Jovi’s Recovery Has Been Slow

Bon Jovi went on to talk about his recovery, admitting that it’s been frustrating times.

“The process has been slower than I’d hoped for, but the progress and the process are really doing very well,” he said. “I’m currently able to sing. For me now, the bar is, can I do two and a half hours a night, four nights a week?”

Bon Jovi hasn’t let this stop him from making music. Last Friday, the band Bon Jovi released their 16th album “Forever.”

Only time will tell if Sambora will ever actually return to Bon Jovi. Fans will certainly be happy if he does!

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