Cher Fails to Make Sonny Bono's Widow Pay Over $1M in Legal Fees

Legendary singer Cher has failed in her legal attempt to force Mary Bono, the widow of her ex-husband Sonny Bono, to cover her legal fees exceeding one million dollars. These expenses arose during a long-running dispute over royalties from songs recorded by the duo.

The conflict between the former spouses has been going on for many years. In her lawsuit, Cher demanded compensation of one million dollars from Mary Bono — these were unpaid royalties for hits that Cher and Sonny created together, including the famous compositions "I Got You Babe" and "The Beat Goes On."

The singer insisted that under the 1978 divorce agreement, she was entitled to 50% of all income from their joint work. However, she claimed that Mary tried to use copyright law provisions to stop the payments. In May 2024, a California court sided with the Grammy winner, ruling that she should be paid more than $418,000 in unpaid royalties.

After this victory, Cher made a new attempt — to demand that Mary Bono reimburse her legal fees in this case. But on Friday, the judge rejected the singer's motion. The reason: the copyright law that Cher invoked to recover attorney's fees does not apply in this situation, since the dispute primarily concerns the old divorce agreement, not copyright law.

Recall that Cher and Sonny Bono collaborated for more than a decade, releasing hits and hosting their own television show "The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour." They held an unofficial wedding ceremony in 1964, but officially formalized their relationship only in 1969. However, by 1975 the couple divorced, and their creative partnership ended in 1977.

After the divorce from Cher, Sonny married Mary, who later became a congresswoman from California. Their marriage lasted until Sonny's tragic death in a skiing accident on January 5, 1998. Now, years later, the heirs continue to divide the legacy of the legendary duo, and this story seems likely to continue in the courts.