The pop icon was previously married to Bono’s husband and fellow singer Sonny Bono, with whom they performed in classic ’60s group Sonny & Cher.
Cher faces $1 million in legal fees after lawsuit
Cher is facing a $1 million legal costs order in a royalty case involving Mary Bono and Sonny Bono’s music.
- A judge ruled in May 2024 that Cher is entitled to more than $418,000 in unpaid royalties from Sonny & Cher’s music.
- The court rejected Scheer’s request for full reimbursement of her legal costs.
Cher’s victory in court against Mary Bono, the widow of her ex-husband Sonny Bono, comes at a high cost.
The pop icon previously sued Bono over a royalties dispute, but was ordered to pay more than $1 million in legal fees after winning the case two years ago. Scheer, 80, filed a motion in January seeking full repayment of costs accumulated during a long legal battle.
Cher was married to Bono’s husband and fellow pop singer Sonny from 1969 to 1975, and they performed together in the classic ’60s group Sonny & Cher. Sonny, who later entered politics as a California mayor and then a congressman, married former congressman Bono in 1986. The two remained together until Sonny had a fatal skiing accident in 1998.
In October 2021, the “I Got You Babe” singer filed a lawsuit against Mary Bono seeking $1 million in damages over a series of unpaid royalties from Sonny & Cher songs, according to past court records reviewed by USA TODAY. Cher claims in her complaint that Bono has “revoked” her ownership of the group’s rights and royalties, which Cher allegedly had a 50% claim to as part of her divorce settlement with Sony.
Cher won the lawsuit in May 2024, with a judge ruling that the Grammy-winning singer was entitled to more than $418,000 in unpaid royalties, according to court records reviewed by USA TODAY.
After her legal victory, Cher asked the court to pay her legal costs. However, in a July 17 ruling, U.S. District Judge John A. Kronstadt ruled that because the women’s dispute centered on contracts rather than federal copyright law, the singers would have to pay their own attorneys’ fees from the lawsuit. Bono is still appealing the original royalty decision.
USA TODAY has reached out to Cher and Mary Bono’s representatives for comment.
Cher and Bono once had a friendly relationship. Women were seen lining up at Sonny and Cher’s induction ceremony on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1998.
And in 2012, Bono joined Cher on stage at the GLAAD Media Awards, which honored Cher and Sonny’s son Chaz Bono for his advocacy work in the LGBTQ community. “I’m here with the only good Republican in the world,” Cher joked about Mary Bono, whom she calls “a friend.”
The “Believe” singer reflected on her tumultuous romance with Sonny in a November 2024 interview with USA TODAY. Despite their ups and downs in their marriage, including Sonny’s battle with substance abuse, Cher said she still has tender feelings for her ex-spouse.
“It’s hard to understand my relationship with Sony because it’s hard for me to understand,” Cher said. “No matter how angry I was with him, there was a bond that I couldn’t break, even after he took all my money. That was true. It was hero worship,” she said. “We both strived for this and loved it. But he was a great piece of work.”
Contributor: Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY
