Cher Malibu home stays in focus after $1 million legal-fee ruling
A judge denied Cher’s bid to have Mary Bono pay $1.02 million in fees after a royalties fight, as her Malibu estate remains off market.
By Sal Moretti · Money Reporter
3 min read
Cher’s Malibu home is back in the spotlight after a judge denied the singer’s request to have Mary Bono cover more than $1 million in legal costs tied to their royalties dispute, according to People magazine and Realtor.com.
Cher, 80, whose legal name is Cheryl Sarkisian, sued Mary Bono, the widow of Sonny Bono and a former California congresswoman, in 2021. The singer alleged that royalties from songs she recorded with Sonny during their marriage were being withheld from her, according to the reports.
People reported that a judge ruled in May 2024 that Cher was owed more than $418,000 in unpaid royalties. The fight over costs continued, with Cher asking in January for Bono to pay $1,023,605.30 in legal fees she said she had incurred. That request has now been denied, leaving Cher to pay those fees herself, according to People.
What is inside Cher’s Malibu home?
Realtor.com reports that Cher’s longtime Malibu estate was first listed for $85 million in 2022, then reduced to $75 million in May 2023 before being taken off the market in August 2024. Property records cited by Realtor.com show it remains registered to the trust she used to buy the land more than 30 years ago.
The property sits on nearly 2 acres near the Pacific Coast Highway. Realtor.com says Cher bought the parcel for $2.95 million after a long search and had the home custom built in 1999.
The seven-bedroom residence spans 13,200 square feet and was created with builder Wallace Tutt III. Designer Ron Wilson, a friend of Cher’s, helped shape the interiors, which Realtor.com described as Italian Renaissance-inspired.
According to Realtor.com, the house includes a meditation room in the primary suite, a climate-controlled wig room, a private gym and a movie theater. The grounds include a gated courtyard, a pool, a tennis court and rows of palm trees used for privacy.
Architectural Digest previously reported that Cher described the home as her sanctuary. When she put it up for sale, she told the magazine that the house had been one of the great passions of her life and that she was ready to let someone else experience it.
Why was Cher in court with Mary Bono?
The legal dispute centered on royalties from Sonny & Cher songs, including “I Got You Babe” and “The Beat Goes On,” according to the reports. Cher alleged in her 2021 lawsuit that her rights were being affected through a provision of the Copyright Act of 1976 that she argued did not apply.
Cher and Sonny Bono performed together as Sonny & Cher and were married legally in 1969 after an unofficial ceremony in 1964, according to Realtor.com. They had one child, Chaz Bono, and divorced in 1975. Sonny Bono died in a skiing accident in 1998.
The fee ruling is the latest money-related chapter in a long public career. Realtor.com cited Cher’s past interviews with Vanity Fair and Jimmy Fallon, in which she discussed earlier financial strain after her split from Sonny and tax debt during a downturn in their career.
Realtor.com also noted that Cher later built major success as a solo singer, actress and model, and cited estimates placing her net worth at $360 million. The Malibu estate, even off the market, remains one of the flashiest pieces of that portfolio.
This story draws on original reporting from MarketWatch.