Heather Deen Locklear is a renowned American actress famously known to have played Amanda Woodward on Melrose Place, a classic American soap opera that ran on Fox from 1992 to 1999. The iconic role earned Heath four consecutive Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Actress.
Born in September 1961, Locklear began her career in the entertainment industry as a model – she appeared in several TV commercials. She later moved on to play minor roles in episodes of 240-Robert, CHiPs, and Eight is Enough.
In 1981 she landed a role as Sammy Jo Carrington on the ABC soap opera, Dynasty and became an immensely popular and much-loved Hollywood celebrity in the viewer’s eyes.
Some of her other notable projects include T. J. Hooker, Spin City, Money Talks, Two and a Half Men, Flirting with Forty, Uptown Girls, Angels Fall, Rules of Engagement, Firestarter, Too Close to Home, Franklin and Bash, Double Tap, Illusions, City Killer, Her Wicked Ways, Going Places, Flying By, and Return of the Beverly Hillbillies.
As for her love life, Heather married Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee in 1986. The couple stayed together for almost six years and ended their marriage in 1993. Following their divorce, Heather started dating Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora and in December 1994, the couple tied the knot in Paris.
Three years later, Heather and Richie welcomed their daughter Ava Sambora in October 1997 – she is Heather’s only child.
In 2006, Locklear filed for divorce from Richie Sambora, filed for the joint custody of Ava, and requested to enforce a prenuptial agreement. Their divorce was finalized in April 2007, the same month the Dynasty actress began her new relationship with her Melrose Place costar, Jack Wagner.
The couple announced their engagement in August 2011, which didn’t last long, and they called it off in November.
As for her daughter, Ava Sambora, is 25 years old today and is the perfect reincarnation of her gorgeous mama. Like her mom, Ava has a passion for acting and has recently completed her Master in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Southern California’s Rossier School of Education.
“Such a proud mama. Congratulations my baby, with your masters in MFT. With your hard work and perseverance and kind heart,” Locklear wrote on her Instagram alongside a graduation picture of her daughter receiving her degree.
Being the only child of two famous parents, Ava has always been in the limelight – she often attended her father’s concerts as a child and would even jump on stage and dance with the band members.
She has done her bachelor’s in phycology from Marymount University and is passionate about acting like her mom. So far, Ava has appeared in This is 40, a 2012 movie, and A Dark Foe, a crime thriller film released in 2020.
“My mom always taught me to be kind to whomever I met,” Ava wrote for PEOPLE in 2020. “She treats every person with respect and makes them feel important. While she embodies kindness in many ways, her ability to care for and give to others is what I admire most. She is selfless and inspires me to be selfless as well.”
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