Cher Spent $1M in Legal Bills Fighting Sonny Bono’s Widow. A Judge Says She Must Pay It Herself

After defeating Mary Bono's effort to stop paying her royalties, Cher is now stuck with a hefty legal bill it took to win the case.

Sonny Bono and Cher attend a party at the Bistro in Beverly Hills, California, celebrating the opening of the Merle Oberon Playhouse, on October 15, 1972.

Fairchild Archive/Penske Media/PMC

A federal judge has refused Cher’s request that Sonny Bono’s widow repay more than $1 million in legal bills the music legend racked up during their court battle over royalties to “I Got You Babe” and other hits.

Cher wanted to be reimbursed for the legal fees she spent defeating Mary Bono’s effort to stop paying royalties under Cher’s divorce settlement with Sonny — an argument rejected by a judge in 2024. Cher claimed Mary had “dragged” the case out for years by taking “unreasonable positions.”