Cher Must Pay Own $1 Million Legal Tab Over Royalties Battle With Sonny Bono’s Widow

Cher has reached the end of a long legal road regarding her royalties battle with the estate of her late husband, Sonny Bono. Despite securing a court victory last year that confirmed her rights to composition royalties established in their 1978 divorce agreement, the singer remains responsible for her own legal costs. A federal judge ruled that Cher must cover the $1 million bill she accumulated during the four-year dispute against Mary Bono.

The conflict centered on whether Mary Bono, acting as the executor of the late Sonny Bono’s estate, could use the federal Copyright Act to reclaim a portion of the royalties previously granted to Cher. While the judge ultimately sided with Cher in December 2025, confirming that she retains the right to have her payments delivered directly to her, he denied her request to force the estate to pay for her legal representation. The court determined that the specific nature of this contract dispute did not permit the shifting of legal fees to the opposing party.

This ruling marks the conclusion of a high-stakes disagreement over the financial legacy of some of the most recognizable music of the 1960s, including tracks such as I Got You Babe. Although the estate of Sonny Bono has challenged aspects of the decision in a federal appeals court, the current status of the payment remains firm. For now, the legal fees stand as a private expense for the artist despite the legal confirmation of her royalty rights.