IN PHOTOS: Robert Kraft throws star-studded party for wife Dana Blumberg on 50th birthday feat. Jon Bon Jovi and more
Uncertainty looms over Robert Kraft's New England Patriots as they enter the 2024 offseason. The team wrapped up their 2023 campaign with a 17-3 loss to the New York Jets, giving them a 4-13 record. It's their third losing record in four seasons.
That outcome fuels the possibility of Bill Belichick parting ways with the team he has coached for the last 23 NFL seasons. However, there's still reason for Kraft to celebrate as his wife, Dana Blumberg, celebrates her 50th birthday. The Patriots owner pulled out all the stops to throw a lavish party.
According to Page Six's Ian Mohr, Kraft kept the party a secret for five months. What he had planned was an impressive celebration for Blumberg's 50th birthday. The legendary Apollo Theater was the venue, as Robert Kraft served as a board member of what has become The Apollo Performing Arts Center in Harlem, New York.
A venue steep in history deserves an event with some of the who's who in the music and entertainment industry. Hence, Kraft had the Dave Matthews Band perform on his wife's birthday. Matthews also played during Kraft's 2023 Fourth of July party at the billionaire's Hamptons residence.
Matthews was game for Robert Kraft's surprise celebration for Blumberg, initially billed as a renovation party on the Apollo's marquee. It later switched to "Happy Birthday DMK" once the party commenced.
But Matthews isn't the only celebrity among the over 200 guests who graced the party. Jon Bon Jovi and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell were in attendance too. Fanatics Chief Executive Officer Michael Rubin, Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan, sports agent Casey Wasserman and Patriots president Jonathan Kraft also graced Blumberg's party.
Aside from serving on its board, Kraft chose the Apollo as the venue because he has regularly attended its events since college. It's also a place that his wife won't suspect as a location for a birthday party.
While it's unsure when they first met, Robert Kraft and Dana Blumberg were first seen together in public during a 2017 event for the Elton John AIDS Foundation. Five years later, renowned fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger announced their engagement at the inaugural Palm Beach event for the American Foundation for AIDS Research. They got married in Oct. 2022 in New York City.
Questions surround future of Robert Kraft's Patriots
While Robert Kraft declared that he won't sell the New England Patriots, there are glaring matters the six-time Super Bowl champions must address. The most prominent is whether Belichick will be a part of their plans for 2024 and beyond.
Kraft hired Belichick in 2000, a day after the coach resigned one day into his tenure as New York Jets coach. If that's the end, they've had one of the most successful partnerships in NFL history, making the Patriots one of the more recognizable brands in the league.
Aside from the uncertainty at coach, the Patriots' activity around the 2024 NFL Draft will determine if Mac Jones will still be their starting quarterback. The former Alabama standout regressed this season, leading to Belichick going with Bailey Zappe behind center.
With the third overall selection in the 2024 draft, the Patriots are in an excellent position to select one of the highly touted quarterback prospects. Doing so will threaten Jones's and Zappe's future as the franchise signal-caller.