Heather Locklear's Daughter Ava Is Grown Up & Gorgeous: Her Life Away From The Limelight

Having parents as famous as Heather Locklear and Richie Sambora made hiding from the public eye nearly impossible for Ava Sambora. The former Bon Jovi guitarist welcomed Ava with the "Melrose Place" actor in 1997, three years after tying the knot. Despite living a lavish life like other celebrity kids — and even briefly attempting a modeling and acting career — Ava has completely stepped away from the limelight to live a private life. 

Ava, whose Instagram is set to private, has two college degrees, is married to Tyler Farrar, and seemingly still has a great relationship with her now-divorced parents. In a 2020 interview with People, Locklear praised her only child, who has supported her through tragic details of Locklear's life. "Ava is an example to me to always try to find the good in someone ... and I aspire to be more like her," Locklear told the outlet. "Her kindness is contagious. We are very close, and I am blessed to call her my daughter." 

Two years later, Locklear called her daughter "the most wonderful person I know" in a 25^th birthday Instagram post in October 2022, with a photo showing how grown up and gorgeous she is. Considering how Locklear has a rocky relationship with her own mother, it's even more special that she is so close to her daughter, despite Ava's propensity to stay out of public view.

Before Ava Sambora seemingly stepped away from the spotlight, she followed in her famous parents' footsteps and ventured out into the entertainment world. She made her modeling debut at age 12 in 2010, walking in the White Trash Beautiful show. The fashion show was a collaboration between her dad, Richie Sambora, and designer Nikki Lund. Her mom, Heather Locklear, sat front row to cheer on her daughter.

"I'm very, very proud of her. I'm very excited, and I'm here to support her," Locklear told People at the time. "And the minute she's done I'm going to grab her and wipe off her makeup and get her into her PJs."

When she was 18 in 2016, she modeled for Baes & Bikinis and 138 Water. She also briefly dabbled in acting, with films like "This Is 40" in 2012, "Mommy Be Mine" in 2018, and "A Dark Foe" in 2020.

Ava Sambora graduated from high school in 2015 and immediately turned her attention to higher education. She earned a bachelor's degree in psychology with a minor in women and gender studies from Loyola Marymount University in 2020. At the time, her mom, Heather Locklear, praised her on Instagram. "She got a 4.0 this semester," the proud mom wrote in part. She also shared a video of a parade that her church threw to help celebrate Ava's achievement.

Three years later, Ava marked another important education milestone: earning a master's degree in marriage and family therapy from the USC Rossier School of Education. Locklear shared a picture of Ava on her graduation day on Instagram, writing, "Such a proud mama. Congratulations my baby, with your masters in MFT. With your hard work and perseverance and kind heart."

In a November 2023 interview with People, Ava's dad, Richie Sambora, also had kind words to say about her achievement. "Ava is killing it. She's basically practicing psychology," he told the outlet, adding that she was planning on "getting ready to go for a doctorate." Sambora added, "I mean, I'm really proud of her. She's doing really, really well." In June 2025, People revealed that Ava was accepted into a doctorate program at Pepperdine University and was set to begin in fall 2025.

Ava Sambora got vulnerable about her mental health struggles in an essay for People in October 2020, in which she revealed that her mom, Heather Locklear, helped her get through it. "I struggle with anxiety, but about a year ago it was very debilitating," Ava wrote. She explained that her mom would drive "almost an hour away" to visit her when she would have anxiety attacks.

"Anytime of the day, she would stop what she was doing and come to comfort me," Ava said. Locklear would also support her daughter in other ways, by taking Ava to doctor appointments and finding her resources on managing anxiety. Ava added, "She did everything she could to help me get through those difficult months ... My mom always made me feel heard. She never judged me and made sure I didn't feel alone. This was so important to my mental health and helped me continue on with my life."

And the love and support go both ways. When Locklear had to spend a 30-day court-ordered stay in rehab in 2019 — after being arrested for reportedly attacking a police officer and EMT — her daughter was by her side. "Ava has a very loving and supportive relationship with her mom," an insider told People at the time. "And as painful it is, she knows that it's in her mom's hands and God's hands. All she can do is like anybody else, just pray and support."

If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.

After Ava Sambora got engaged to Tyler Farrar in 2024, the couple walked down the aisle in May 2026. Ava shared exclusive photos of the wedding day with People, which included snaps of her parents, Richie Sambora and Heather Locklear, who walked her down the aisle in coordinating black. Ava wore a gorgeous, white strapless gown with a corset top and bead-and-lace embellishments on the full skirt, complete with a long white train in her blond hair.

After their engagement in February 2024, Locklear shared a sweet photo of the couple on Instagram. "Second best day of my life," Locklear captioned the post. "First was the day she was born. Sweetest couple ever. Congratulations!"

Richie also seems to approve of the couple's nuptials. On the day after the wedding, he shared a video on Instagram of him singing Bon Jovi's hit "Livin' on a Prayer," while Ava and Farrar sang along and danced. He also shared a sweet clip of his and Ava's father-daughter dance on Instagram, which was set to a song Richie previously wrote for his daughter called "I'll Always Walk Beside You."