Bono and his wife Ali Hewson’s secret to building 40-year marriage from high school romance

20 May 2025, 10:50

Bono and Ali have been together for almost 50 years.

Bono met the love of his life Ali Hewson almost 50 years ago – but what is the secret to the pair’s long-lasting relationship?

Over the years, the pair have opened up about how they have successfully navigated their marriage through the unexpected twists and turns of U2’s huge fame, with Bono telling the world in his 2022 memoir: “Any time either of us got lost, the other would… be there to get the other one home.”

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Here’s everything there is to know about Bono and his wife Ali’s special relationship, including what they credit with helping them steer a high school romance to a marriage which has lasted over 40 years...

When did Bono and Ali Hewson meet?

Bono (real name Paul Hewson) and Ali are childhood sweethearts, who first met at their school, Mount Temple Comprehensive, when they were just 12 years old.

The pair got together in 1976, the same year U2 was formed, and Mount Temple Comprehensive was also key to the formation of the band as Bono, the Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. were all pupils at the Dublin-based school.

Speaking with The Telegraph in 2008, Ali said: “He was my first real boyfriend. It was 1976 that we got together – the same year that the band formed. I saw their first gig in our school gym.”

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But it was a walk to the bus – not possible music superstardom – which endeared Ali to 12-year-old Paul, the singer told Extra in 2016: “It just so happens it was this afternoon I walked her to her bus – isn't that mad?”

Who is Ali Hewson?

Ali Hewson (née Stewart) is an activist and businesswoman from Ireland, and the wife of Bono from U2.

Ali studied sociology and political science at University College Dublin, and after graduating in 1989 she began a career in humanitarian work.

Following the Chernobyl disaster in 1986, Ali became passionate about anti-nuclear activism. Over the years she has also worked closely with charities which support the victims of Chernobyl, especially the children who were affected.

As a businesswoman, Ali has worked in the fashion and beauty sectors, with a focus on creating sustainable fashion and beauty brands such as EDUN and Nude.

When did Bono and Ali Hewson get married?

Bono married Ali in August 1982.

Although U2 had released two albums by then, they were still waiting for huge success to come their way.

Bono’s marriage and his and Ali’s honeymoon were followed by him returning to work with the band on their third album, War, which would be the group’s breakout success.

U2’s rise had an effect on the pair’s relationship, as the two were forced to come to grips with how Bono’s increasing fame and its demands on the band would put a strain on what they’d originally envisioned for their marriage.

In his 2022 memoir Surrender, Bono explained: “Ali would have been happier with a life that was simpler than the one we've ended up with... Though not demanding in any selfish way, Ali had never been 'just' my girlfriend, and now she was never going to be ‘just’ my wife.”

He added: “There were air pockets from the beginning, like, say, my immaturity. Married at 22 going on 18.

U2 - All I Want Is You (Official Music Video)

“She was also realizing that there were three other men in her marriage. Men whom she was more than fond of, but men who were taking her man away, not just in his wild imaginings, but physically, all over the world.”

In the early days of their marriage, the pair reportedly shared a house with the rest of the members of the band, meaning Bono’s family life and work life started out very closely connected.

Do Bono and Ali Hewson have children?

Yes, Bono and Ali have four children: daughters Jordan and Eve and sons Elijah and John. Jordan was born in 1989, Eve in 1991, Elijah in 1999 and John in 2001.

Despite having to fit family life around the unconventional demands of Bono’s rockstar career, the couple has managed to stay sane and raise four happy kids.

In 2014, Bono joked about how he sometimes wished his family were slightly less able to cope with his absences due to touring.

“When we’re leaving for tour, my family is in very good humour, which is a real worry because I’m thinking, ‘Can’t you cry?’” he joked with a The Sun reporter.

Ali gushed about the pair’s grown-up children in a 2020 chat with Irish Daily Mirror: “I am just so happy for them, each of them,” she said. “You just hope they find their way.”

“The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” she also said, reflecting on how Elijah is pursuing a musical career. Eve is also working in the entertainment industry, but as an actress.

How long have Bono and Ali Hewson been together?

Bono and Ali have been together since 1976. The couple are therefore coming up to their 50th dating anniversary, and celebrated their 42nd wedding anniversary in 2024.

In past interviews, Bono has reflected on the importance of his and his wife’s deep friendship in keeping the couple together from their school days to now, in addition to their romantic feelings for each other.

“Our relationship began with of course the obvious romance and flirtation, but it quickly moved into friendship, and I think that’s a real part of who we are,” he told CBS Mornings in December 2022.

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Speaking at the New Yorker Festival, again in 2022, Bono said: “If you ask me seriously, friendship can outpace romantic love, sometimes. And friendship is what myself and Ali have.

“When you have romantic love and friendship, that’s really something special.”