Who Is Bono's Wife? All About Activist Ali Hewson

Bono has been married to Irish activist Ali Hewson for over 40 years

Bono and his wife, activist Ali Hewson, have the sweetest love story.

The two met when they were only 12 years old and began dating in high school. They have been each other's support systems before and throughout the fame of Bono's band U2. While Bono may be a household name, Hewson is famous in her own right, too: She is an activist and a successful businesswoman as well.

While speaking about his memoir Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story at The Society For Ethical Culture in New York City, Bono opened up about his long-lasting marriage with Hewson. "Any time either of us got lost, the other would … be there to get the other one home. And I'm so grateful," he said.

He continued, "And 40 years is a powerful number for me. That's a powerful number for Ali. And it was brilliant when we got to 40, and we went, 'Let's not f--- this up now.' "

So, who is Bono's wife? Keep reading to learn more about Ali Hewson.

She's an activist

Hewson is primarily known for her work as an activist. She attended the University College Dublin and graduated with degrees in sociology and political science in 1989. This spurred her passion for humanitarian work.

In the 1990s, Hewson was involved in anti-nuclear efforts and worked alongside charities to help the child victims of Chernobyl. She narrated the 1993 Irish documentary Black Wind, White Land, about the lasting effects of Chernobyl and has campaigned against English nuclear facility Sellafield.

In 2015, Hewson singed an open letter for the ONE Campaign addressed to Angela Merkel and Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, which urged them to focus on women in their leadership roles.

Hewson spoke about her activism work in a 2008 interview with The Telegraph, saying, "I know how I want to try and live my life. I know I don't want to leave any darkness behind me. I think we should all have a responsibility not to affect other people in a negative way. It starts with your children — you see how trusting they are, so small and so innocent. That's why I got involved in the Chernobyl project, because of what happened to the children there."

She's a business owner

Aside from leaning into activism, Hewson has co-founded two ethically conscious businesses — one of them being Edun, a fair trade-focused clothing company.

Her and Bono's trips to Africa helped inspire her to create Edun. "I've never been interested in fashion. But when Bono came back from Africa about three years ago, he had seen how many garment factories were being closed down," Hewson said during an interview with the London Evening Standard.

Explaining why she wanted to help Africa gain back some world trade, she told The Telegraph, "That's why we had the idea of trying to do something in Africa that would put our money where our mouth was — to actually make a difference by developing Edun."

In 2018, The Cut reported that the sustainable fashion brand would be ceasing operations. Edun released a statement saying that they were "restructuring its operations in preparation for its next chapter" and that the founders "remain committed to Edun's mission for sustainable fashion."

Hewson also got involved in the beauty world when she co-founded the ethical skincare company Nude alongside Bryan Meehan. In 2016, however, Beautycounter purchased Nude. Hewson joined the board of Counter Brands, LLC, and both she and Bono became investors in the company.

She and Bono are high school sweethearts

Bono and Hewson grew up in Ireland and met at Mount Temple Comprehensive School when they were just 12 years old.

"He was my first real boyfriend," Hewson said in an interview with The Telegraph in 2008. "It was 1976 that we got together — the same year that the band formed. I saw their first gig in our school gym."

At the 2016 Glamour Women of the Year Awards, Bono gave more details about the early days of their romance, telling Extra on the red carpet, "We were teenagers. We went to the same school, high school. It just so happens it was this afternoon [in 1976] I walked her to her bus — isn't that mad?"

She's a mom of four

Bono and Hewson married in August 1982 and welcomed four children together: daughters Jordan and Eve and sons Elijah and John.

In his book, Bono wrote about when the couple decided to become parents, writing that he wasn't sure he could be both a "band leader and father." He talked about the discussion he had with Hewson regarding having kids and how they realized that "the conventional life is not the only route to parenting, how people who live in their imagination can also live in the real world of parent-teacher meetings, school drops, and being there for birthdays."

He added, "A month later and Ali was pregnant."

Hewson has also opened up about motherhood and her children. During a 2020 interview with the Irish Daily Mirror, she said, "I am just so happy for them, each one of them, you just hope they find their way."

Some of their children have followed in Bono's footsteps and pursued careers in entertainment, including their daughter Eve, who is a successful actress, and their son Elijah, who is a musician.

She had a hard time adjusting to Bono's fame in the beginning

Since Hewson and Bono have been together since before U2 took off, it's only natural that she may have had a hard time adjusting to their new lifestyle.

In his memoir, Bono wrote: "Ali would have been happier with a life that was simpler than the one we've ended up with, and it wasn't too long into our marriage that I began to sense she was becoming distant from the life we were living."

He continued, "Though not demanding in any selfish way, Ali had never been 'just' my girlfriend, and now she was never going to be "just" my wife. Neither of us knew what the word 'wife' meant anyhow, nor had any sense of how valuable this relationship was going to be for each of us. We were up for the ride, but there were air pockets from the beginning, like, say, my immaturity. Married at 22 going on 18. She was also realizing that there were three other men in her marriage. Men whom she was more than fond of, but men who were taking her man away, not just in his wild imaginings, but physically, all over the world."

She's a very private person

Initially, Bono was nervous about his wife's reaction to his memoir given how much of their personal life he revealed in it. "I was nervous, she's an extremely private person, and I was taken aback when she hardly wanted any changes except spellings," he told PEOPLE. "She wrecked my head about some of the spellings."

She still prefers to keep a low profile. The activist is not on social media and rarely speaks to the press. She does, however, attend public events for her work or to support her husband's career from time to time.

She and Bono see each other as friends and not just romantic partners

While discussing his memoir at an event in N.Y.C., Bono shared the key to his and Hewson's enduring marriage. He said that there is "a grand madness" about them as a couple, and that knowing they were "going against the odds" added something to their connection.

"But I would say if you ask me seriously, friendship can outpace romantic love, sometimes," he added. "And friendship is what myself and Ali have. When you have romantic love and friendship, that's really something special."

She has been the inspiration behind some of Bono's work

Hewson has served as a source of inspiration for Bono's music. In 1998, he told Rolling Stone that the U2 song "The Sweetest Thing" was linked to her. "It was written during the sessions for The Joshua Tree," he explained, referring to the band's fifth studio album. "It was Ali's birthday, and I didn't make it for the birthday. It was actually the one song we always felt we could have nailed better than we did." They ended up bumping the song and fixing it before releasing it.

When they did release it, the music video featured Hewson, and all proceeds from the song were donated to the Chernobyl Children's Project, which Hewson requested.

They are supportive of each other

Another secret to Bono and Hewson's long-lasting marriage? They both always try to be there for each other. In an interview with The Sunday Times, Bono said that the key to their marriage is to "swap" being in charge "at some point."

"If one of us got lost the other was going to get us back, that's kind of been the way it's been for us," he said. "I think in relationships somebody is in charge at some point, but you swap. It's a relay race."

Hewson echoed the sentiment in an interview with the Manchester Evening News. "Our marriage has worked because we like each other, because we talk to each other, and we are passionate about what we do," she told the outlet. "We allow each other to pursue our goals."

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