I think and hope that there will be another tour and Richie will be back. All Jon has to say is that Richie needed time for personal business and now he is back and committed to Bon Jovi and "we are happy to have him back." All Richie has to say is that as much as he loved the time apart to be with his daughter and do his own music, he is eager to get out there and do some kick-ass Bon Jovi shows. The speculation and drama doesn't have to follow them for the rest of their days.

Jon is very good at both answering and shutting down questions. He did it after the band got back together the first time, he did it after his daughter's OD and he did it most recently during the WAN tour when he was asked about Richie. He provides answers, down plays drama and encourages people to move forward.

I think things will eventually work out for precisely that reason: I don't think anyone in the band wants things to end on such a "sour" note -- if you'll pardon the expression! ;)

I think once Richie is done with his mid life crisis, he'll be back. First his girlfriend will dump him for a younger guy which will be a shot to his ego. Then his new solo music will dry up. I give it 5 years before him and Jon share a stage again in some way.

Plenty of breakups much worse than this are healed over time. Unless someone dies in the meantime, if they want to be back they will put it behind them and get back together and this period will just be remembered as a gap like between KTF/NJ.

I think Richie would rather jam with fabric the rest of his life than to go back to rubbing Jon's balls again.

that's exactly the question I meant to address with this thread. lol

the whole thing stinks of the NJ - KTF period indeed but just because it got sorted out then, doesn't mean it will now. Also, no laundry was done in public at the time, well not at this level though. But we must remember that social media wasn't really a thing back then, it's pretty hard to keep things from the public eye nowadays. we'll just have to wait and see. NJ came out in 88, KTF came out in 92 - that's a 4 year period in between albums but it's not like they didn't gig at all during those years. Far as I'm concerned, the NJ tour didn't end until 1990 and they played 'Blaze of Glory' together at the awards thing right ? And then in 92 they were touring.. whereas in this case, Richie missed almost an entire tour... again, it's just a lot different and a lot worse.

This. Musicians are artists they have egos and there is often a lot LOT more ego involved than what their PR-people let them get out.

People are reading much too much to quotes as well. Show business quotes are nothing. They are heat of the moment blurps that absolutely do not stand the test of the kind of scrutiny they are put under by the fans. Shock and horror their are outright lies out there just to make a story. And here we are discussing tones in which some things were said and even the facial expressions. It is fun I admit but it is completely dishonest of us. They (JBJ and Richie are just examples) are not making well thought out statements for radio stations with the weight of some serious long consideration and heavy thought process behind them.

If they want to get back there is absolutely nothing stopping them. There is no need for any humble pies anywhere nor apologies. And there won't be any. Some fans would certainly like to see it but it will not take place.

The question is if there will be a time that they want to get back together in the future before they are too old and that is the only question. Time will tell.