“But I would say, if you ask me seriously, sometimes friendship can overtake romantic love,” Bono said at the festival in New York.
Bono opened up about his 40-year relationship with his wife Ali Hewson – and their secret to staying together for so long.
During an interview at the New York Festival on Friday with journalist David Remnick, Bono, 62, studied his upcoming book Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story at the Society for Ethical Culture in New York. There, a groom asked the audience how he managed to maintain a healthy 40-year marriage with his wife.
Bono, who met Hewson, 61, at Mount Temple Comprehensive School when he was 12, said it was “absolutely crazy to get married.”
“It’s crazy for us,” he continued. “And that has to do with knowing that you are going against the odds. But I will say, if you ask me seriously, sometimes friendship can overtake romantic love. And the company is what Ali and I have if you have romantic love and an extraordinary friendship, 33, Eva, 31, Elijah, 23, and John, 21.
Even with that friendship, it can get tricky at times, says Bono, but he and his old love remain committed to their union.
“Every time one of us got lost, the other … was there to bring the other home. And I’m so grateful,” said Bono. “And 40 years is a strong number for me. That’s a strong number for Ali. And it’s great when we’re 40 and we’re like, ‘Let’s not talk about this now.’” Bono also discussed his longevity with his U2 bandmates on the show, a topic he’ll explore in the next book. The upcoming cover contains 40 chapters, each named after the title of a U2 song.
During his conversation with Remnick, he explained his reasons for splitting the finances evenly between the four band members – Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. He called their decision to do so “the best thing ever.” give.”