Cher is required to pay her own legal fees after a judge ruled she must cover costs associated with her successful legal fight over music royalties involving Sonny Bono’s widow, Mary Bono. Multiple reports say the dispute centers on royalties claims and related litigation that Cher pursued and ultimately won last year when an effort by Mary Bono to prevent Cher from paying or accounting for certain royalties did not succeed. Although Cher’s position prevails in the broader royalties dispute, the court’s decision shifts the financial burden of the legal expenses: Cher is responsible for the roughly $1 million in attorney fees she incurred while litigating the case.
The outlets also report that the ruling applies to the legal bills accrued during the contested proceedings, indicating the judge’s decision is limited to costs rather than altering the underlying resolution of the royalties dispute in Cher’s favor. The outcome leaves Cher facing the substantial expense even after the royalties question has been resolved against Mary Bono’s attempt to halt or challenge Cher’s royalty obligations.
