Photo:Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic ; Ron Davis/Getty
Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic ; Ron Davis/Getty
Cherhas earned an Oscar, Emmy and Grammy awardover the course of her six-decade career, but her proudest accomplishment remains raising her two sons,Chaz BonoandElijah Blue Allman.
“I always, always wanted to be a mother,” she told Robin McGraw onDr. Philin 2004. “I’m proud of, in this lifetime, they both have got great morals. They tell the truth, they root for the underdog, they have respect for people. The things that my mom made me think were the most important things, my children have them.”
The “If I Could Turn Back Time” singer revealed shesuffered several miscarriagesbefore welcoming her first child, Chaz Bono, with then-husbandSonny Bonoon March 4, 1969. She and Sonny, who performed together as Sonny & Cher, split in 1974 but were still close when he died from a skiing accident in 1998.
Just days after Cher and Sonny’s divorce was finalized in 1975, she marriedGregg Allmanof The Allman Brothers Band. Though Cher filed for divorce nine days after their union, the pair ultimately reconciled and welcomed their only child together, son Elijah Blue, on July 10, 1976. Three years later, Cher and Gregg went their separate ways, and she began raising her two children as a single mother.
Cher has long been candid about how difficult it was to balance her career with her family life, admitting she wished she could have offered more “stability” to Chaz and Elijah. “But it’s really hard in my job,” she said onDr. Phil. “It doesn’t necessarily mix well with having children. It’s like Kate Hepburn said, ‘If you’re going to do this job, don’t have kids.’ But I wanted them. My life would have been nothing without them.”
Elijah and Cher’s relationship made headlines in December 2023 when the “Believe” singerfiled for conservatorshipover her son. According to court documents, Elijah is “unable to manage his financial resources” due to “severe mental health and substance abuse issues.” The court proceedings are ongoing.
Here’s everything to know about Cher’s two sons.
Chaz Bono, 56
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Growing up, Chaz was incredibly well-behaved, according to his mom. “[He] never did a thing wrong. Never, it was unbelievable. It was just who [he] was,” theBurlesqueactress said onDr. Phil, adding that he joined his parents on the road at just 6 weeks old.
Starting at age 2, Chaz made frequent appearances alongside his parents on their Emmy-award-winning variety show,The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour, throughout his childhood — which is perhaps where he first got the acting bug. At age 13, Cher noticed that Chaz was struggling in school, and signed him up for summer acting classes. Despite some initial pushback, he was immediately hooked. “[His] whole life was changed. It was a transformation,” Cher told McGraw in 2004.
Soon after, Chaz was offered a scholarship to LaGuardia High School, a performing arts school, in New York City. The opportunity gave Chaz space to discover who he was without his famous parents. “It’s made [him] shine and be this open person, and it’s given [him his] own self — not being in my shadow, not being in [his] dad’s shadow,” Cher said.
Despite Chaz’s interest in pursuing acting, he eventually set his dream aside. “My senior year of high school I got cast as a male character and for the first time I really excelled. But I told myself, ‘This will never happen as a professional so I need to find another career,' ” Chaz — who was assigned female at birth — told PEOPLE in 2013, reflecting on life before he transitioned in March 2009, following his 40th birthday.
Chaz later opened up about coming out as a transgender man toEntertainment Tonight:“I was turning 40 and I thought it’s now or never. I want to still feel vibrant and be able to enjoy my life in a male body and not wait until I am an old man.”
Chaz documented his transition in the 2011 documentaryBecoming Chaz.
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His mom, meanwhile, was his biggest supporter. A source told PEOPLE that after screening his documentary at her house, Cher told a friend, “I admire my son Chaz’s courage for sharing his personal journey. Most important to me is that he is very happy. That’s what I care about the most. He has my love and support."
Chaz eventually made his way back into acting after a confidence-boosting turn onDancing with the Starsin 2011. That experience led him to guest-starring roles onDegrassi: The Next GenerationandThe Secret Life of the American Teenager. “I’ve decided that hopefully it is never too late to do what you want to do,” he told PEOPLE in 2013.
In 2015, he starred in a stage production ofProof, for which he drew inspiration fromhis relationship with his late father. He has also landed recurring roles onThe Bold and the BeautifulandAmerican Horror Story.
Chaz and his mother remain close, stepping out together for occasions including Cher’s hand and footprint ceremony in 2010 and the Women’s March in 2017. They’ve also made a point to show up for each other’s performances. “She’sbeen really supportiveand is a big fan,” Chaz previously told PEOPLE. “She’s come to everything I’ve ever done.”
Elijah Blue Allman, 48
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Cher and Gregg Allman welcomed son Elijah Blue Allman on July 10, 1976. By 1979, theMoonstruckstar had split from Allman, who struggled with drug addiction.
“I stayed with him until I knew I couldn’t because I didn’t want the kids to be around it,” Cher toldParadein 2018, adding that while he was “the sweetest man in the world,” his drug use meant things “just weren’t working out.”
She went on to raise her kids as a single mom, with herboyfriends acting as interim paternal figuresfor her sons. “I don’t know if that’s enough,” Cher said onDr. Phil, after noting that exesVal Kilmer, Joshua Donen andGene Simmonshad all stepped up as father figures. “His father was not there,” she said of Elijah. “He never saw his dad.” Elijah later mended his relationship with his father before Gregg’s death in 2017.
He and Cher have also gone through periods of estrangement as adults. He added that for all their difficulties, however, he knows they’ll always repair their relationship. “It’ll be mended because it has to be, it will just take time," Elijah said at the time.
Cher has spoken out about the complicated nature of their relationship over the years, telling McGraw, “He and I have such a bizarre relationship. We’ve had so many strange moments. I don’t really understand him. Somehow Elijah and I kind of talk through osmosis."
She added that the mother-son pair “had our first fight” when Elijah was 9 months old. She also praised his intelligence growing up, explaining, “His mind is very expansive. He just dances to his own tune and doesn’t really care.”
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In 2013, Elijah wed singer Marieangela “Angie” King, who is professionally known as Queenie. They eventually split in 2021.
During their divorce proceedings, King accused Cher ofhiring four men to kidnap Elijahin late 2022. She claimed that the “Believe” singer did so because she didn’t want the couple to “reconcile” their marriage.
“Thatrumor is not true,” Cher told PEOPLE in October 2023 before adding that she’d “do anything” to help her children through hard times.
In December 2023, Cherfiled for a conservatorshipover Elijah. Court documents claimed that he is “currently unable to manage his assets due to severe mental health and substance abuse issues.”
The conservatorship proceedings will continue on March 6, 2024.
source: people.com
