Revealed: Cher Using 1978 Divorce Settlement With Sonny Bono as Evidence in Vicious $1 Million Fight With His Widow
Cher dusted off her 1978 divorce settlement agreement with Sonny Bono to use as evidence in her bare-knuckle brawl with his widow over $1 million royalties, RadarOnline.com can exclusively reveal.
The time-worn document reveals the famous duo separated on February 1, 1974, after 6 years of marriage and cited “irreconcilable differences between the parties have caused the irremediable breakdown of the marriage.”
The 41-page document is expected to play a crucial role in the 2021 lawsuit the songstress filed against Mary Bono over the royalty rights for Sonny and Cher’s smash hits when they were together from 1965 to 1975 such as I Got You Babe and The Beat Goes On.
Cher used her 1978 divorce settlement agreement as evidence in a lawsuit over royalties.
The agreement lays out in painstaking detail how their music catalogue and royalty rights to their hugely popular 1970s television variety show were going to be divided.
“Husband and wife agree to make an equal division of their community estate; to share their liabilities and obligations in such a manner as to implement said equal division of their community estate,” the document stated.
The Believe singer contends the 1978 agreement clearly states, “Sonny Bono assigned to Cher, among other things, fifty percent of all musical compositions royalties that he, his successors or heirs received from any source with respect to musical compositions Sonny authored, co-authored, or acquired prior to their separation,” according to a November 13 brief she filed in Los Angeles federal court.
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“Cher’s right to those royalties is confirmed in their 1978 Marriage Settlement Agreement.”
Cher and Bono, who was married to Sonny for 12 years until his 1998 ski accident death, had a cooperation agreement in place but that changed in 2011 when the widow claimed the 50/50 deal had expired.
Cher claims Bono “secretly’ worked out a deal with Wixen Music Publishing, Inc. to allegedly divert the Moonstruck actress’ cut into a “separate account pending the outcome of this litigation, according to the court brief written by renowned attorney Peter Anderson.
Cher claims a 1978 Marriage Settlement Agreement with Sonny entitles her to 50-percent of the royalties.
Cher charges Bono “wrongfully induced” Wixen to allegedly scoop up the royalties.
The legal fistfight comes as the 77-year-old Oscar winner is embroiled in a bitter court war between her troubled son Elijah Blue Allman and his estranged wife Marieangela King.
Allman’s ex accused Cher of allegedly kidnapping her son following an April 2023 hearing in a brazen attempt to prevent them from contacting each other.
Cher claims a 1978 Marriage Settlement Agreement with Sonny entitles her to 50-percent of the royalties.