Heather Locklear was a regular face on our TV screens throughout the ’80s and ’90s.

The California-born actress was smoking hot back in the day, and she’s probably best known around the world for playing glamorous Sammy Jo Carrington in the long-running TV show Dynasty.

But did you know that Heather has a daughter? And that her only child looks just like her star mama?

Heather Locklear in 1993 / Wikipedia Commons

Heather Locklear was born in Los Angeles in 1961 – today, the bombshell of the 1980s has turned 61 and is still going strong.

She made her earliest screen appearances in the early 1980s, landing her big breakthrough with the show Dynasty.

Starring as Sammy Jo Carrington catapulted her to stardom – the young Heather looked like an angel with the real-life face of a Disney princess, you could say.

Sure, some might say that she was just a standard pretty blonde TV actress, nothing special. But her personality on Melrose Place was badass – every time she appeared onscreen, it felt like things got more interesting.

Heather went on to receive four Golden Globe nominations for playing the cold-hearted Amanda Woodward on Melrose Place, so there’s no doubt that she could act. But her career is difficult to fully comprehend without going into her private life.

In the 1980s, Heather was often seen in the arm of rock greats; she was married to Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee, who she divorced in 1993, and went on to marry Bon Jovi lead guitarist Richie Sambora.

The couple tied the knot in 1994 at a civil ceremony in New Jersey and then had a formal wedding with family and friends in Paris. The Melrose Place star wore a candlelight white gown designed by Nolan Miller – the same man who created the lavish costumes for Dynasty.

Heather and Richie were married for 13 years, during which they had their only child, daughter Ava Sambora.

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Heather Locklear daughter

Ava Elizabeth Sambora was born on October 4, 1997. I think it’s safe to say that she didn’t experience an average childhood. When she was a kid, Ava was often seen on-stage during concerts with Jon Bon Jovi. Sometimes, she introduced them to the audience and even danced with the band members.

Being the daughter of two big stars, her not-so-average upbringing could easily have been a nightmare. But instead, it looks like she turned out fine –Ava is a very smart and highly-educated woman today.

In high school, she loved being a cheerleader.

“I like being thrown in the air! It’s an adrenaline rush,” she told Teen Vogue.

In 2020, Ava graduated from Loyola Marymount University with a bachelor’s in psychology, finishing with a GPA of 4.0. After that, she decided to pursue a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy at the University of Southern California.

The young woman has also dipped her toes into the acting industry, and apparently, has followed in her famous mother’s footsteps.

The 25-year-old made her acting debut in the movie This Is 40, and in 2010 she walked the runway for her father’s clothing line, “White Trash Beautiful,” at Los Angeles Fashion Weekend.

In 2020, she recently shared an image of herself in a dress holding a bunch of tulips. Her post attracted thousands of comments from people who remarked on just how much she looked like her famous mom.

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Posing in a leopard-print dress with her long, blonde locks swept back into a ponytail, Ava wrote: “I like flowers,” along with a tag to her friend Sarah Wermers.

One follower commented: “You truly are a stunning beauty, taking after your beautiful mother!!”

In more recent photos and videos, people think that Ava has Heather’s TJ Hooker looks from back in the day.

“My gosh she is her mother, even her voice sounds like Heather’s,” one person commented when Ava was getting interviews by ET.

Others say that while both Ava and Heather are beautiful, they dont see a big resemblance.

Her 61-year-old mom recently took to her Instagram page to share a series of pictures congratulating her daughter on her graduation from LMU.

Overall, the 25-year-old blonde seems like a pleasant young lady who has her priorities straight. She and her mother are said to have a very close bond. The aspiring actress told US Weekly in 2018 that she’d “love to follow in my mother’s footsteps” career-wise.

Her latest acting credit is from 2020, when Ava starred in the independent crime-thriller A Dark Foe with Selma Blair. Hopefully, we will see more of this talented woman in the future!

In addition to her outstanding school results and burgeoning film career, Ava has found her soulmate as well. According to SCMP,  she’s in a relationship with Tyler Farrar, an investment associate at Pacific Partners Real Estate Investments.

The couple have been dating since 2019.

To me, recent images of Ava bring back so many great memories of the ’80s – seeing Ava is like taking a step back in time.

I mean, could you get better looking DNA from parents? Maybe Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber?

Jason MacDonald (R) and Heather Locklear attend the world premiere of the Lifetime original movie ‘Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff: The Kristine Carlson Story” at the Orinda Theatre on October 14, 2021 in Orinda, California. (Photo by Kimberly White/Getty Images)