Rock legend Jon Bon Jovi has won widespread praise for persuading a woman not to commit suicide. Bon Jovi and a group of fellow musicians saw the woman standing precariously on the edge of a Tennessee bridge and ran to her aid. The 62-year-old rock star talked the distraught woman back over the bridge’s railing, and the pair then shared a hug.
The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department posted a video clip of the incident online with the caption, “Bon Jovi helped persuade her to come off the ledge over the Cumberland River to safety.” Police chief John Drake also praised the singer and commented that it takes “all of us to keep each other safe.”
Social media users joined in the praise when the video appeared on Instagram, with one user thanking Bon Jovi on behalf of the many people who find themselves in such a desperate situation but for whom nobody stops to offer comfort.
Media reports indicate that when the incident happened, the New Jersey star and his bandmates were about to commence filming a video on the Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge in Nashville. Footage showed several people appearing not to notice the woman’s plight.
Jon Bon Jovi, who was recording a video for a new song “The People’s House,” co-founded the JBJ Soul Foundation in 2006 – a charity that helps people in crisis. The rock star founded the organization with his wife, both of whom underwent training on how to deal with individuals in emergency situations and how best to communicate with them.
The Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge, which crosses the Cumberland River and links Nashville with the Nissan Stadium, is named after Tennessean editor John Seigenthaler, who took similar action in the 1950s and prevented a man from jumping to his death.
The JBJ Soul Foundation says it has helped thousands of people find homes across twelve states and operates three JBJ Soul Kitchens in New Jersey that provide a “warm, nutritious meal.” The group says its mission is to break the cycle of poverty and homelessness by offering funds to “innovative community benefit organizations.”
