Cher has emerged victorious in her bitter royalties dispute with Mary Bono, the widow of her late ex-husband Sonny Bono. However, the legal triumph comes with a massive price tag.
On Tuesday, July 21, court documents revealed that a federal judge ordered the 80-year-old music icon to cover her own attorney fees. Despite successfully prosecuting her case against Mary, Cher is now on the hook for over $1 million in legal expenses.
The ruling brings an expensive close to a protracted legal battle over the rights to some of the 20th century’s most iconic pop songs.
The Battle Over Sonny & Cher’s Legacy
The legal drama began in October 2021 when Cher filed a complaint against Mary seeking $1 million in damages.
Cher—born Cheryl Sarkisian—argued that Mary was actively withholding royalties from classic Sonny & Cher hits like “I Got You Babe” and “The Beat Goes On.”
Sonny and Cher posing closely together for a promotional portrait in 1970.
According to Cher’s 1978 divorce agreement with Sonny, the Grammy-winning singer was legally entitled to a 50 percent cut of their shared music royalties. Cher alleged that Mary tried to exploit a “wholly inapplicable statutory termination provision of the Copyright Act of 1976” to completely terminate Cher’s rights.
Her argument ultimately held up in court. In May 2024, a California judge ruled in Cher’s favor, determining that she was rightfully owed more than $418,000 in unpaid music royalties.
Why the Judge Denied Legal Fees
Following her victory, Cher’s legal team filed a request in January 2026 to have Mary cover the singer’s legal costs, which totaled $1,023,605.30.
Her attorneys argued that she “incurred attorney’s fees in successfully prosecuting this action.” They insisted that apportioning the fees was unnecessary because the core facts of her successful breach of contract claim closely aligned with her declaratory relief claim.
Cher posing in a striking gown while attending the 2026 Met Gala.
Her lawyers added that any fees linked to Mary’s partially successful first counterclaim were “de minimis.”
However, on Friday, July 17, Judge John A. Kronstadt officially denied the motion. The judge ruled that the dispute fundamentally centered on contract law rather than federal copyright law, meaning the copyright statutes allowing for fee shifting did not apply to this case.
Court filings note that another estimated $10,000 is expected to be added to Cher’s legal defense costs. Representatives for the singer have not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the ruling.
A Complicated Family History
The legal clash highlights the deeply intertwined personal and professional history of the Bono family. Salvatore Phillip “Sonny” Bono and Cher were married from 1964 until 1975, finding fame as a massive musical duo.
They also dominated television, hosting The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour on CBS throughout the 1970s. The couple welcomed one child together, Chaz Bono, born in 1969.
Sonny later married Mary, a 64-year-old former California congresswoman, in 1986. Following his time in the entertainment industry, Sonny pivoted to politics, serving as the mayor of Palm Springs from 1988 to 1992 and then as a Republican congressman from 1995.
Sonny and Mary remained married until Jan. 5, 1998, when he tragically died in a skiing accident. Together, they share two children, Chesare and Chianna. Sonny was also father to a daughter, Christine, from his first marriage to Donna Rankin.
