Full Breakdown
Cher Wins Royalties but Must Cover Her Own Legal Fees
7/23/2026, 1:00:03 PM
Background of the Dispute
In 2021 Cher filed a federal lawsuit against Mary Bono, the widow of her late ex-husband Sonny Bono, alleging that Bono had withheld royalties from the duo’s catalog. Cher argued that, under her 1978 divorce settlement, she was entitled to a 50 % share of those royalties. The case centered on contract-related claims rather than federal copyright law.
Court Findings and Financial Figures
A California judge ruled in May 2024 that Cher was owed more than $418,000 in unpaid royalties from the Sonny & Cher recordings. Court documents obtained by PEOPLE on July 21 indicate that the judge ordered Cher to pay her own legal fees, estimating an additional $10,000 for defense costs.
Official Judicial Reasoning
U.S. District Judge John A. Kronstadt issued a ruling on July 17, denying Cher’s motion for fee apportionment. The judge explained that the dispute involved contractual issues, not federal copyright law, and therefore the statutory basis for shifting fees did not apply.
Impact and Outlook
The decision means the 80-year-old “After All” singer must absorb the cost of a multi-million-dollar litigation despite prevailing on the royalty claim. Mary Bono is continuing to appeal the original royalties judgment. The outcome underscores the complexity of legacy music-rights disputes and the limited scope of fee-shifting provisions in contract-focused cases.
