Mary tried to undo the divorce agreement that granted the singer 50% ownership for, and different resources amassed during her union with her late ex.
The court records procured by E! News express that the claim “has become necessary because now, more than forty years after [Cher] received her 50% ownership of her and Sonny’s community property, Sonny’s fourth wife and widow, defendant Mary Bono, claims that a wholly inapplicable statutory termination provision of the Copyright Act of 1976… has undone [Cher’s] ownership of her royalties from the songs and recordings that she and Sonny made famous during their marriage, and deprived [Cher] of other long-established rights under the 1978 agreement.”
Her late ex-husband allegedly granted her the right to “approve all other agreements with third parties respecting the musical compositions and composition royalties,” which incorporates their hit tunes “I Got You Babe” and “The Beat Goes On.
The documenting moreover states that, in the 1978 separation procedures, Sonny and Cher consented to the “equal division” of all resources obtained before their partition in 1974.
After Sonny’s passing in 1998 from a skiing mishap, the complaint claims that Mary allegedly endeavored to utilize a “wholly inapplicable statutory termination provision of the Copyright Act of 1976” to terminate Cher’s rights entirely.
The record also asserts in 2016 that Mary and Wixen Publications “issued a notice of termination to various music publishers or other companies to whom Sonny had granted a transfer or license of the renewal copyrights, or rights under them, in the Musical Compositions,” which was done without Cher’s “knowledge or participation.”
Last month, the Bono Collection Trust told Cher’s reps that the notice of termination would end “the stream of composition royalties” Sonny doled out to her in 1978.
She would also no longer have “approval rights with respect to all agreements with third parties respecting the musical compositions and composition royalties; no longer is entitled to direct payment of 50% of record royalties directly from record companies [and] no longer is entitled to object to administration fees in excess of ten percent.”
Cher and Sonny got married in 1964 but got divorced later that decade. Cher went on to become a successful actress and bagged an Oscar award for 1987’s Moonstruck. Meanwhile, Sonny wedded Mary in 1986, turned into the civic chairman of Palm Springs from 1988 to 1992, and a Republican senator from 1995 until his passing.
Reactions to Cher Is Suing Sonny Bono's Widow for $1 Million
cher coming for her coin
cher coming for her coin pic.twitter.com/UxWSxSVBNj
— cher doing things (@cherdoingthings) October 15, 2021
& rightly so x
& rightly so x https://t.co/mYLdqvIBgX
— jodiemurphy_ (@jodiemurphyx) October 15, 2021
When I learned who Sonny Bono was and how ugly this mf is but landed a woman like CHER I immediately gained confidence
When I learned who Sonny Bono was and how ugly this mf is but landed a woman like CHER I immediately gained confidence https://t.co/xzsLBsbu4j
— ~ (@Nefelibia) October 15, 2021
Chercrew
Chercrew https://t.co/h696oWdNYq
— Donna Petrich (@donnahot4Gaz) October 15, 2021
This is crap that #marybono is trying to cheat #Cher out of royalties. In this situation, Mary needs to quit trying to hide behind legal loopholes & just do what is right. I would never cheat someone like that. Just some rich lady trying to get richer no matter what is right.
This is crap that #marybono is trying to cheat #Cher out of royalties. In this situation, Mary needs to quit trying to hide behind legal loopholes & just do what is right. I would never cheat someone like that. Just some rich lady trying to get richer no matter what is right. https://t.co/QIcYIxY1Ja
— Alicia (@AliciaLoveBravo) October 14, 2021