The Love Life of the Legendary Cher

#3: Sonny Bono, The End

By 1974, their marriage and partnership had fallen apart. Cher filed for divorce, saying she felt trapped and wanted her freedom back. The split was messy, filled with public fights over money and contracts, but it was also the start of her becoming her own person.

Even after the bitter end, Cher never stopped caring about Sonny. When he died in a skiing accident in 1998, she gave an emotional eulogy, calling him “the most unforgettable character I’ve ever met.” Their time together shaped her early career and the woman she would become.