Cher is suing the widow of her ex-husband Sonny Bono for $1 million in what she says are unpaid royalties that should have been hers.
The singer was married to Sonny Bono from 1964-75 – his second wife, and half of their wildly successful musical double act.
Bono married for the fourth and final time Mary Whitaker, with the pair tying the knot in 1986.
They were still married when Bono died in a skiing accident in Lake Tahoe in 1998, aged 62.
Initially Cher and Mary Bono got along well, with Mary inviting Cher to deliver a eulogy at Bono’s funeral.
But in recent years the relationship has soured, and on Wednesday Cher, 75, sued Mary Bono for what she claims are missing royalties.
Cher, seen in October 2020, on Wednesday sued Mary Bono, the widow of her ex-husband Sonny Bono
Sonny Bono and Cher are seen in 1973, performing on their CBS television show ‘The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour’
Sonny Bono and Cher were married from 1964-75. Cher said that when they divorced they agreed to share the royalties from their hit 1960s songs
The suit, filed in Los Angeles federal court, accuses Mary Bono of illegally withholding royalties from such 1960s hits as ‘I Got You Babe’ and ‘The Beat Goes On.’
Mary and Sonny Bono are pictured in 1989
According to the lawsuit, obtained by ABC News, Cher and Sonny Bono agreed to split revenue from the songs recorded together.
Cher’s attorneys allege that in recent years Mary Bono ‘has undone’ Cher’s ownership of those rights and royalties.
When Sonny Bono died, he was serving as a Republican congressman for California following an election victory in 1995.
He had been elected mayor of Palm Springs from 1988-92.
Mary Bono, now 59, ran for election to her late husband’s seat shortly after his death, and served from 1998 to 2013.
She is now a political consultant.
She is yet to respond to DailyMail.com’s request for comment.
Source: dailymail