Music legend Cher is facing another legal setback after a judge rejected her request to have Sonny Bono’s widow, Mary, pay her more than $1 million.
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According to TMZ, Cher filed a complaint against Mary years ago, seeking $1 million in damages for the royalties from the songs she and Sonny made together. The songs included “The Beat Goes On” and “I Got You Babe.”
In her complaint, Cher claimed that she was entitled to 50% of the royalties per the exes’ 1978 divorce agreement. However, she accused Mary of attempting to use certain copyright laws to terminate her rights over the royalties.
Cher previously scored a win in the case, with a judge siding with her in May 2024. The judge stated that Cher was owed more than nearly $420,000 in unpaid royalties.
Following the ruling, Cher went after Mary to pay for her attorney fees. In January 2026, she requested that Mary pay $1,023,605.30.
“Apportionment of Cher’s fees is unnecessary because her successful breach of contract claim,” Cher’s attorney stated. “And Defendant’s unsuccessful second counterclaim share a common core of facts with Cher’s declaratory relief claim, and because any fees incurred in relation to Defendant’s partially successful first counterclaim were de minimis.”
Mary Is Off the Hook to Pay Cher More than $1 Million
Despite the previously successful ruling, a judge denied the motion, stating the copyright law Cher invoked to collect the fees did not apply in the situation. This was because the legal battle was over an old divorce agreement instead of a copyright law.
Cher and Sonny worked together for a decade before their unofficial wedding in 1964. They divorced in 1975 and terminated their work relationship in 1977.
Although her marriage to Bono didn’t work out, Cher shared positive thoughts about the relationship.
“We had two components to our relationship: personal and business. When we worked together, it was fabulous,” she once said. “Except for the money part of it, we were equal partners. We had a great time. Both of us were really funny. We enjoyed each other. But our home life was harsh.”
Sonny went on to marry Mary in 1986. He went into politics in 1988.
Sony died following a skiing accident in 1998.