Cher writes that ex-husband Sonny Bono thought about killing her

Cher in his new book “The Memoir, Part One” he wrote that Sonny Bonoher late ex-husband, “seriously thought” about killing her by throwing her from a balcony.

The 78-year-old singer refers to an episode that occurred when she admitted to her husband (whom she later divorced in 1975) that she wanted to sleep with the duo’s guitarist, who she identifies only as “Bill”.

Cher wrote in the book: “He laughed a little and so did I. It was absurd that he would tell me that (that he wanted to throw me off the balcony).” She continued: “I thought about taking him out and declaring myself crazy like Spade Cooley and to do seven years in prison before they released me. Then I would have a book deal and a show of my own.”

The singer responded by telling Bono that there was “no need to push her” because she “would have jumped” anyway. Describing the conversation as the “darkest moment” of their marriage, Cher added: “I don’t believe for a minute that Sonny would actually push me off the balcony, but I’m sure it crossed his mind, and he knew better than to down there it had also passed through mine.” What else could we do but laugh?”

In the book, she also writes that she had thoughts of suicide while in a hotel room in Las Vegas: “I climbed barefoot onto the balcony of our suite and looked down. I was dizzy with loneliness. I saw how easy it would be climb over the edge and disappear. For a few crazy minutes I couldn’t imagine any other option.”

Speaking of Spade Cooley Cher refers to the American western swing musician who in 1961 was tried and convicted of the murder of his second wife, Ella Mae Evans. The musician’s case, which was the longest case in the county’s history, led to a first-degree murder conviction after his attorney unexpectedly dropped the insanity charge and risked a possible death sentence. Cooley was sentenced to life in prison, with the possibility of parole after serving seven years. In 1968, the California State Board of Adults voted unanimously to parole Cooley on February 22, 1970. He never got to parole again as he died of a heart attack on November 23, 1969.

Cher (Cherilyn Sarkisian) and Bono first met in 1962, when she was 16 and he was 11 and they worked as backing vocalists for Phil Spector, before finding fame as a duo under the name of Sonny & Cher.

They married in 1964 and had a son, Chaz. In 1975, four days after her divorce from Bono, Cher married (divorcing in 1979) Gregg Allman of the Allman Brothers Band and had another son, Elijah.

Good died in 1998 from injuries in a skiing accident in California. Cher gave a eulogy at the request of his widow Mary.

However, Cher and Mary are currently fighting over the copyright of some of the duo’s most important songs, including “I Got You Babe” And “The Beat Goes On“, The dispute between the two ex-wives arose when the royalties granted to Bono became eligible for termination.

At the time, Mary intervened to invoke the right, and was later sued by Cher in 2021 for $1 million (£792,000). Cher said she was caught off guard by Mary’s attempt to claim her half of the royalties on Sonny’s compositions.

In May 2023, a judge ruled that Cher’s divorce settlement with her ex-husband would nullify Mary’s request to reclaim her profits, but at a hearing on Monday (Nov. 18), Mary’s lawyer argued that Cher’s right to collect half of the royalties for the two aforementioned hits ended more than two years ago, on July 1, 2022.