Cher’s ex-husband Sonny Bono once ‘seriously thought’ about killing her, she claims in memoir

Cher reveals her ex-husband Sonny Bono once thought about killing her

During her marriage to Bono, which lasted from 1964 to 1975, Cher was so unhappy at one point that she considered committing suicide by jumping off the balcony of a Las Vegas hotel room. She wrote in her memoir that in October 1972, she confessed to her then-husband that she wanted to sleep with Bill, a guitarist in their band.

Cher added in her memoir that while she did not actually mean it, she thought it was the only way to make Bono take her plea to part ways seriously. “The silence was deafening. Then [Sonny] said, ‘How long do you think you’ll need?’” the Burlesque actress wrote. “Two hours,” she told Bono before he left her with Bill, whose shoulder she cried on.

The estranged couple, who starred together on their hit show The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour, eventually agreed to split. However, Bono allowed it on one condition – Cher would have to continue living with him during the week to preserve their public image.

One morning, he took her by surprise by saying, “You know, after you went off with Bill that night at the Sahara, I seriously thought about throwing you off our balcony,” Cher wrote in her memoir. “He laughed a little at that and so did I. It was crazy that he was telling me,” she added.

The Strong Enough singer continued, “He went on: ‘I figured I’d plead insanity like Spade Cooley and get seven years in jail before they released me. Then I’d get a book deal and my own show.’” However, she in left him surprised by making the shocking admission that “there would have been no need to push me because I was gonna jump!’”