Inside Heather Locklear’s Engagement to Her High School Sweetheart: ‘She Found Her Way Back'

Liz McNeil
·2 min read

This graduation season brought a new chapter for Heather Locklear. The Melrose Place star got engaged to her boyfriend and high school sweetheart Chris Heisser, who she reunited with more than two years ago after they both graduated from Newbury Park High School in Los Angeles in 1979.

“They are really happy together,” a family friend tells PEOPLE in this week's issue. “Her family, her parents, her siblings, Richie [Sambora, her ex] and Ava [her daughter with Sambora] are all supporting her and are excited for her.”

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Locklear, 58, showed off her new engagement ring during a June 9 outing in L.A. while wearing a mask reading, "I'm smiling." And she had many reasons to be happy.

Along with the engagement, the actress marked one year of sobriety in April. Last year, she completed 30 days in court-ordered rehab after pleading no contest to misdemeanor battery charges stemming from altercations with a police officer and an EMT.

Heather Locklear/Instagram

"After all the fame, she found her way back to a simpler life with the boy she dated in high school," the pal continues. "She found a silver lining. It’s a wonderful feeling to know you got it right the first time.”

Rex/Shutterstock Heather Locklear

These days Locklear finds joy in quieter pursuits, such as gardening and cooking for her elderly parents. "It's very sweet,” the family friend says.

The Dynasty alumnae also enjoys spending time with her 22-year-old daughter Ava, who recently graduated from Loyola Marymount University. "She wants to be present for everything that’s important to her daughter,” another source shares.

Heather Locklear/Instagram Heather Locklear and daughter Ava

And Heisser, 58, helps Locklear do just that.

“He always loved her and really believed she could get sober,” the insider continues. “After everything they went through, it’s amazing to see that they stuck together. Heather has come such a long way.”

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