Millie Bobby Brown Instantly Sensed Jake Bongiovi Was the One: ‘We Knew We Never Wanted to Leave Each Other’s Side’

Millie Bobby Brown has ascended to global stardom as a character who has telepathic powers on Stranger Things. In real life she also seems to have a special sixth sense when it comes to love.

The 19-year-old actress told the Sunday Times that she was intrigued by future fiancé Jake Bongiovi, so she did what anyone her age would: she bombed through his Instagram. “I was interested in him and wanted to know more. As soon as we spoke I knew he was going to be a huge part of my life,” she said. “After we met we knew we never wanted to leave each other’s side.”

Brown and Bongiovi, 21 — the youngest of Bon Jovi singer Jon Bon Jovi‘s four children — appeared to confirm their engagement in April with a black and white post on Brown’s Insta that featured a clever Taylor Swift reference. “I’ve loved you for three summers now, honey, I want ’em all,” Millie wrote alongside the image of Jake hugging her from behind on a beach while she modeled what appeared to be a diamond ring on her ring finger. Jake’s version of the post featured the word “Forever” followed by a heart emoji; Brown and Bongiovi were first linked after they posted a selfie together in June 2021.

The actress told the paper that she quickly knew Jake was her forever person. “I ran to my mum and said, ‘I really, really like him!’ After we met we knew we never wanted to leave each other’s side,” she recalled. “You can’t pinpoint why, it’s just the feeling of knowing that that’s the person you want to spend the rest of your time with. I think so much of life is overthinking. The one thing that made clear sense to me was him.”

Speaking of that bling, Brown said Bongiovi used her mother’s ring in his proposal. “I’ve always loved that ring, it’s always stuck out to me, so she gave it to Jake,” she revealed. “They were in cahoots about the whole proposal. I love that I can always keep a piece of my mum with me.” Brown said her parents “adore” Jake, noting that they both come from families where their parents have been together for a long time; Jon Bon Jovi and wife Dorothea Hurley are high school sweethearts.

“My parents were young when they got together, so I always had amazing role models for relationships,” she said. “His family are wonderful people who welcomed me with open arms. I’m really grateful to be a part of their world.” 

Brown said there is no set wedding date yet, but several designers have contacted her about making her a dress, though she insisted it’s “not about what I wear.” As of now, Brown said she’s not sure whether she’ll change her name to something like Millie Bobby Brown Bongiovi, or Brownovi, joking, “I definitely don’t think that’s it. We are having those conversations [though] and they are important to me.”