Couples

Richie Sambora Will Support Heather Locklear

By Ryan Pienciak

06/25/2008 at 02:55 PM EDT

They're no longer together, but Heather Locklear can still count on her ex-husband Richie Sambora.

As Locklear, 46, seeks treatment for depression and anxiety at an Arizona facility, the Melrose Place star has Sambora firmly in her corner, says a friend of the couple, who have a 10-year-old daughter, Ava.

"Without a doubt, he's there for his daughter and her mother," a friend of the Bon Jovi guitarist tells PEOPLE. "They may be divorced, but they are raising a little girl they both love very much."

Sambora, who split from Locklear in 2006 after 12 years of marriage and subsequently dated Locklear's former friend Denise Richards, is currently performing with Bon Jovi in England until June 28. The band is due to finish their tour in the U.S. with a few East Coast dates in July.

Although he's on the road, "I'm sure he's available if Heather should need something and certainly for Ava," says the pal.

For the complete story on Locklear's battle with depression and anxiety, pick up the new issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday