Cher Seeks $1 Million in Attorney’s Fees From Sonny Bono’s Widow

The legendary Cher, 79, is not someone who backs down easily. She proved that recently when she and her ex Sonny Bono’s widow, Mary, tangled in court. They were embroiled in a long, messy legal dispute about royalties associated with hit Sonny and Cher songs from way back such as “The Beat Goes On” and “I Got You Babe.”

Per Rolling Stone, when Cher and Sonny divorced in 1975, he granted her 50 percent of the composition royalties for smash tunes like those two mentioned above. She also was entitled to receive “a 50 percent share of the musical recordings they made together,” per the outlet.

But lawyers representing Cher claimed that Mary Bono was allegedly taking royalties belonging to Cher for herself and other heirs. Mary reportedly was attempting to use the Copyright Act to get Cher’s portion of those royalties. However, a federal judge, John A. Kronstadt, ruled that the provisions of her divorce, which involved California contract law, superseded the Copyright Act. Ultimately, as stated in the motion requesting payment of attorney’s fees, “Cher prevailed completely.”

Mary Bono’s Lawyer Disagreed

Daniel Schacht, Mary Bono’s lawyer, saw the matter differently. He told the outlet earlier that “We appreciate Judge Kronstadt’s efforts in the case but believe he got the law wrong on copyright terminations. It is important that authors and their heirs have the rights that Congress intended.”

The Exact Amount Cher Wants

The flamboyant singer is seeking $1,023,605.50. Lawyers for Cher assert that Mary Bono ‘dragged this case out for five years….” A hearing on the matter is slated for February 23, 2026.

Sonny Bono Died in 1998

Bono became famous singing alongside his then-wife Cher. The two starred in a popular TV comedy- variety show that aired from 1971 to 1974. He later successfully entered the political world. Bono served as mayor of Palm Springs, California, then subsequently as a congressman from California in the U.S. House of Representatives.

He married Mary Whitaker in 1986. Bono lost his life in a skiing accident on January 5, 1998. He was 62 years old.