Goddess of Pop Cher initiated legal action against Sonny Bono’s widow, asserting her rights to royalties for the iconic songs of Sonny & Cher, such as “I Got You Babe” and “The Beat Goes On.” The singer is demanding $1 million, claiming it reflects the approximate royalties allegedly withheld by the Bono heirs.
Additionally, Cher aims to prevent any attempts to undermine her 50% ownership in the Sonny & Cher catalog, a right established in the unyielding Marriage Settlement Agreement she entered with her former husband in 1978. Recently, the legal dispute took a dramatic turn when Mary Bono introduced a new motion involving Chaz Bono, the son of the iconic singer from her marriage with the late singer
Mary Bono moves for a dismissal of Cher’s lawsuit
In her recent legal filing, Mary submitted a court brief urging the dismissal of Cher’s lawsuit on the grounds that the 77-year-old neglected to name her late husband’s four children as parties to the suit. The former member of the U.S. House of Representatives emphasized that the well-being of all the children would be significantly impacted by the lawsuit’s outcome, underscoring the crucial need for their inclusion in the legal proceedings.
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“Even if the Court were to determine that any of Sonny’s children cannot be feasibly joined to the action, the Court should still dismiss the case because the litigation simply cannot proceed without the inclusion of all the statutory heirs,” the court brief mentioned. “For Sonny’s children to be subject to a court order that they have not had the opportunity to defend against would be prejudicial.”
Mary Bono says all her late husband’s children have a right to protect their interest
The widow of the deceased musician disclosed that Christine, Chaz, Chesare, and Chianna, the children of her late husband, possess the right to safeguard their interests. “Cher alleges that she continues to be entitled to half of all the publishing royalties under the MSA, including from the terminated copyrights,” Mary stated. “But because her claims affect Sonny’s children’s interests, it would require her to name them as defendants.”
Mary requested the discontinuation of the case, emphasizing that the suit’s significance hinged entirely on the involvement of Bono’s children. “The case cannot proceed without Christine, Chaz, Chesare, and Chianna’s Involvement,” she added.