Cher, dubbed the ‘Goddess of Pop,’ must bear her own legal fees of USD 1 million in the case against Sonny BonoMary Bono’s widow. While the 80-year-old won the legal case for unpaid royalties in May 2024, the court denied his bill for attorney’s fees. After Mary stopped payments to Cher, the singer hired top lawyers to ensure victory in the case – but now, she has to cover the payments.Here’s a closer look at the legal dispute between Cher, Sonny Bono, and Mary Bono.
Cher and Sonny Bono. The hit collaboration:
Cher and Sonny Bono worked together after he became famous in the 1960s. As part of their 1978 divorce settlement, the duo formalized a 50% split in royalties. However, the conflict began in 2021, when Cher admitted that Mary Bono reportedly tried to terminate the agreement between her and Sonny. The lawsuit allegedly claims that Bono tried to use a ‘completely unenforceable statutory termination provision in the Copyright Act of 1976’ to void the rights deal.
Cher and Mary Bono. The royalty case:
In 2024, Mary Bono was ordered to pay more than USD 418,000 in royalties to Cher after she won the case. According to Billboard, Judge John A. Kronstadt said that Cher and Mary’s dispute revolved around a family dispute over contracts and copyrights, which rejected the rules applicable to payments.In the final judgment signed in November 2026, Mary Bono was barred from claiming under the federal Copyright Act to recover the 50 percent royalties awarded to Cher in her divorce settlement, per Rolling Stone.After Sonny Bono died in 1998 due to a skiing accident, Mary was left in a vast land. However, her music rights became eligible for termination in 2018, prompting Mary to reclaim certain interests.Disclaimer: The information in this report is based on a legal hearing as reported by a third-party source. The details provided represent allegations made by the parties involved and are not proven facts. The case is ongoing, and the final verdict has not yet been reached. The publication does not claim that the allegations are true.