Trigger warning: This article contains mentions of suicide.
The pop duo of Cher and Sonny Bono were among the defining power couples of the 1960s and ’70s.
The pair famously met in 1962 when Bono was 27 andCher was just 16 clearly an uncomfortable age gap.
What’s more, their partnership served as a launching pad forCher’s astounding transformation as a solo star.
Ages after their split, Cher is still opening up about how exactly it all went down.
Cher responded by filing for a full-on divorce, which was ultimately granted the following year.
During the proceedings, Cher accused Sonny of keeping all of their shared earnings for himself.
How was he able to do that?
Bono’s lawyer owned the other 5%, leaving Cher herself with nothing.
Cher discussed her complicated feelings about her ex in a 2010 interview withVanity Fair.
She continued, “I forgive him, I think.
“I was dizzy with loneliness,” Cher wrote.
“I saw how easy it would be to step over the edge and simply disappear.
For a few crazy minutes I couldn’t imagine any other option,” she continued.
“I did this five or six times.”
I can just leave him.”
She recounted the moment she initiated that conversation in a 2010 interview withParade.
“You know what, Sonny?
I just don’t care!”
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available.
A shocked Sonny left them to it, though Cher and Bill didn’t actually do anything that night.
She recalls that the two then burst into laughter.
What else could we do but laugh?"
The two would not be considered legally married until 1969, when their son Chaz Bono was born.
As previously mentioned, when Cher divorced Sonny in 1974, she accused him of hoarding all their money.
Things only got uglier from there, as Sonny responded by going after full custody of Chaz.
Less than a week after the divorce was finalized that year, Cher married fellow musician Gregg Allman.
Chaz Bono’s complicated relationship with his parents continued into his adult years.
Despite this, Sonny’s political career ended up driving a wedge between him and Chaz.
Bono’s then-wife Mary Bono was elected to finish his second term.
She continued to serve as a member of Congress until 2013.
Cher herself revealed as much in a 2023 interview withPeople.
“That went a long way for me.”
“it’s possible for you to’t fake that kind of stuff.”
