Cher has faced a new legal setback after a long court fight over royalties from her music with late ex-husband Sonny Bono. A federal judge has ordered the singer to pay her own legal costs in the case. The decision comes after Cher previously won the copyright dispute and received unpaid royalties. The songs were by the popular duo Sonny and Cher.
Cher was ordered to pay nearly $1 million in legal fees despite winning
Court documents obtained by PEOPLE on Tuesday, July 21, show that Cher must pay attorney fees she requested after her legal battle with Mary Bono. Mary is the widow of Sonny Bono and a former California congresswoman. In 1986, she married Sonny, and they lived together until he died in a skiing accident in 1998. Cher and Sonny married in 1964 and divorced in 1975.
In October 2021, Cher filed a lawsuit against Mary and demanded $1 million in damages. She alleged that song royalties and rights had been withheld for songs like “I Got You Babe” and “The Beat Goes On.” Cher argued she owned 50% of the rights under her 1978 divorce agreement with Sonny. She also alleged Mary attempted to terminate those rights under a copyright law provision that didn’t apply.
Cher’s lawyer won the lawsuit in May 2024 after a California judge awarded her more than $418,000 in unpaid royalties. In January 2026, her legal team requested $1,023,605.30 in attorney fees. According to court documents obtained by PEOPLE, Cher’s attorneys said they “incurred attorney’s fees in successfully prosecuting this action.”
On Friday, July 17, Judge John A. Kronstadt refused to grant Cher’s request. Documents obtained by PEOPLE show the judge said federal copyright law didn’t apply because the case was about contracts. Cher’s defense team was anticipating an additional $10,000 in legal fees.
Cher and Sonny became one of music’s most well-known duos and in the 1970s hosted “The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour”. Following the divorce, Sonny went on to become mayor of Palm Springs and later a Republican congressman. The former couple had a son, Chaz Bono. Their music rights case has been ongoing for decades after their partnership ended.
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