Thursday 14 October 2021

Cher files lawsuit against Sonny's widow Mary Bono claiming she is withholding $1million in royalties from pop duo's hits

 Cher is suing the widow of her ex-husband Sonny Bono for $1 million in what she says are unpaid royalties that should have been hers.

The singer was married to Sonny Bono from 1964-75, and was his second wife, and half of their wildly successful musical double act. 

After they split, Sonny married another two times, tying the knot with fourth and final wife Mary Whitaker in 1986. 

Cher, seen in October 2020, on Wednesday sued Mary Bono, the widow of her ex-husband Sonny Bono
Mary Bono, who was married to Sonny Bono from 1986 until his death in 1998, has not responded to Cher's allegations

Cher, seen in October 2020, on Wednesday sued Mary Bono, the widow of her ex-husband Sonny Bono

Sonny Bono and Cher are seen in 1973, performing on their CBS television show 'The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour'

Sonny Bono and Cher are seen in 1973, performing on their CBS television show 'The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour'

They were still married when Sonny died in a skiing accident in Lake Tahoe in 1998, aged 62.

Initially Cher and Mary Bono got along well, with Mary inviting Cher to deliver a eulogy at Sonny's funeral.

But in recent years the relationship has soured, and on Wednesday Cher, 75, sued Mary for what she claims are missing royalties.


The suit, filed in Los Angeles federal court, accuses Mary Bono of illegally withholding royalties from such 1960s hits as 'I Got You Babe' and 'The Beat Goes On.'

According to the lawsuit, obtained by ABC News, Cher and Sonny agreed to split revenue from the songs recorded together.  

Cher's attorneys allege that in recent years Mary 'has undone' Cher's ownership of those rights and royalties.

After they split, Sonny married another two times, tying the knot with fourth and final wife Mary Whitaker in 1986. The couple are pictured in 1989

After they split, Sonny married another two times, tying the knot with fourth and final wife Mary Whitaker in 1986. The couple are pictured in 1989 

Cher performs I Got You Babe during 2017 Vegas residency
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When Sonny died, he was serving as a Republican congressman for California following an election victory in 1995.

He had been elected mayor of Palm Springs from 1988-92.  

Mary, now 59, ran for election to her late husband's seat shortly after his death, and served from 1998 to 2013. She is now a political consultant. 

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