The Biggest Bombshells From Cher's Memoir Laid Bare: Sleaze, Abuse, Suicidal Thoughts and THAT Encounter With John Lennon
OK! rounded up some of the biggest revelations from the first part of Cher's two-volume memoir, 'Cher: The Memoir – Part One,' released on November 19.
Cher and Sonny Bono Were Kicked Out of a Hotel
Cher and Sonny Bono wed in 1964.
Cher's newest memoir, Cher: The Memoir – Part One, which was released on November 19, touched upon some of the most shocking events that happened in the songstress' life — from her abusive marriage to Sonny Bono to her just-divulged affair.
In one part of the book, the If I Could Turn Back Time singer recalled the time she and Bono were escorted out of a London hotel in August 1965 due to the way they were dressed.
Cher wrote: "No one in England even knew what Sonny and Cher was, but by the time we reached the Hilton's revolving door, escorted in person by the manager, there were two reporters standing outside.
"'Sonny, Cher, did the Hilton just kick you out?' they asked. 'Was it because of how you looked?'"
After the incident, Cher and Bono stayed in another hotel "with a lumpy bed" for "12 hours".
She continued: "And by the time we bathed and dressed, we were famous."
Cher Had an Affair With a Young Guitarist
Cher and Sonny Bono divorced in 1975.
Cher admitted to having a brief affair with a young guitarist while she was still married to Bono.
"It felt like my head almost exploded off my shoulders. Bill was a great kisser..." she revealed, describing the young musician as a "tall 21-year-old with a Texas drawl".
According to the Little Man singer, Bono knew about her infidelity. She also told him she wanted to sleep with Bill.
Sonny Bono Was Abusive Toward Cher
Cher and Sonny Bono welcomed Chaz in 1969.
In her memoir, Cher said since Bono was "controlling", they stopped attending band dinners and events together as he was paranoid that she would leave him. His behavior reportedly worsened as they got more famous.
She also alleged Bono once thought about murdering her by throwing her off their balcony after she told him she wanted to sleep with their band's drummer.
Cher Had Suicidal Thoughts During Her Marriage to Sonny Bono
Cher considered jumping from the balcony three years after she and Sonny Bono married.
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Before the After All singer and her then-husband called it quits, she reportedly had suicidal thoughts, recalling: "I stepped barefoot onto the balcony of our suite and stared down. I was dizzy with loneliness. I saw how easy it would be to step over the edge and simply disappear. For a few crazy minutes, I couldn't imagine any other option."
She admitted to reaching that point five or six times, but thinking about their kid, Chaz, helped her end her suicidal ideation.
She Gave Tina Turner Marriage Advice
Tina Turner died on May 24, 2023, at the age of 83.
Cher sought advice from Lucille Ball, who just ended her marriage to Desi Arnaz at the time, which helped her move on from her abusive marriage to Sonny.
She penned in her memoir: "I told her, 'Lucy, I want to leave Sonny, and you're the only one I know that's ever been in this same situation.
"'What should I do?' Lucy and her husband had also become famous, working together as stars on TV. And he was a huge womanizer too. Then Lucy had left him. She told me, 'F--- him, you're the one with the talent.'"
She later relayed the same advice to Tina Turner amid her traumatic union with Ike Turner.
Cher said: "Before we went on she came to my room asking if I had some cover-up. She had a bruise on her arm she didn't want [it] showing on camera. She sat down while I looked for it and then quietly said, very straightforward, 'Tell me how you left him."
Tina and Ike parted ways in 1976.
Cher Ran Into Drunk John Lennon
The Beatles late member John Lennon was shot and killed in December 1980.
In 1974, Cher bumped into several celebrities, including The Beatles member John Lennon, at the Playboy Mansion. She and the late musician reportedly enjoyed a "movie night" alongside Harry Nilsson before an unexpected moment happened.
Cher said: "... I went to find a drink and when I came back they were standing in the middle of the Grotto naked but still in the water, thank God."
She added: "I was trying not to laugh, but it was impossible not to as they threatened to wander around the mansion naked. It took me ages to get them back in their clothes. It was like herding drunks."
Gregg Allman Used Drugs
Cher and Gregg Allman were married for three years before calling it quits.
Cher moved on with Gregg Allman and wed him in June 1975. Nine days later, she reportedly discovered a bag with white powder that prompted her to file for divorce from him.
They reconciled afterward, only to hit rock bottom again when Cher found out Gregg had been using heroin amid her pregnancy.
She detailed in her memoir: "I had had it with us repeating the same pattern again and again, and had told him over the phone, 'I'm just so tired of doing this, Gregory. I'm so tired of going to rehab with you.' He was quiet on the other end of the line. 'But I keep going,' he said softly. His answer stopped me in my tracks, because it was true. He kept going to rehab, kept trying to get clean, kept making an effort despite failing in the past. In that moment, instead of thinking of my own exhaustion, I empathized with him."
They welcomed Elijah Blue Allman in 1976 before their tumultuous marriage ended with a divorce in 1979.