Cher banned from son Chaz Bono’s wedding amid family feud

Cher may not be seeing her son wed the love of his life at his upcoming wedding, according to multiple reports about a growing feud between the singer and her first-born child, Chaz Bono.

Most people will know that Cher has a son, Chaz Bono, who was born during her marriage to Sonny Bono.

Originally born Chastity Bono on March 4, 1969, Chaz eventually came out as a lesbian before going through a female-to-male gender transition between 2008-2010.

Chaz Bono wasn’t accepted by Cher

At age 18, Chaz came out to both parents as a lesbian. Speaking of coming to this realization, he told the Daily Mail in 2011: ”I’d look at other girls my age and feel perplexed by their interest in fashion or which boy was the cutest.”

\"\"
Credit: Robin L Marshall / Getty.

“As a child, I always felt there was something different about me. I’d look at other girls my age and feel perplexed by their obvious interest in the latest fashion, which boy in class was the cutest, and who looked the most like cover girl Christie Brinkley,” Chaz wrote in his book Family Outing: A Guide to the Coming Out Process for Gays, Lesbians, and Their Families.”

“When I was 13, I finally found a name for exactly how I was different. I realized I was gay.”

\"\"
Cher pictured with children Elijah (left) and Chaz Bono (right) in 1980. Credit: Harry Langdon / Getty.
Then, at the age of 39, Chaz began his transition to the male gender. It wasn’t until 2010 that Chaz officially became a man, when a California court granted his request for a gender and name change. 

In the documentary Becoming Chaz, which was shown at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival and aired on Oprah Winfrey Network, viewers got the chance to follow Chaz’s transition into a man.

“My mother went through a kind of mourning period. It was difficult for her, and we didn’t see each other for about the first year of my transition,” Chaz told SBS Australia.

Cher has always been a great supporter of the LGBTQ community, but in the beginning, it sure wasn’t easy, as she recalls it. “It was very unlike me to, in the beginning, have a problem with Chaz being gay, and it disappeared like that,” Cher told CNN in 2020, as she recalls her initial reaction.

Given this it’s safe to say that, over the years, Cher and Chaz have had some strains in their relationship.

\"\"
Credit: Amy Graves / WireImage / Getty.

Cher won’t be at the wedding

Now, it seems that these strains are only worsening, especially as Chaz prepares to wed his fiancé Shara Blue Mathes. Though, Cher won’t be among the wedding guests.

This decision follows Cher’s recent denial of conservatorship over her son Elijah Allman, who has battled addiction issues.

Chaz claimed that Cher “objects” to Elijah’s reconciliation with his wife, Marieangela King. This marks the second occasion in January where Cher’s attempts to gain control over her son’s assets have been unsuccessful. The court favored Elijah’s legal team, citing insufficient time to prepare a case against Cher’s petition.

Sources close to the situation revealed to In Touch that the relationship between Chaz and Cher has deteriorated over time. According to the source: “Chaz and Shara are removing Cher from the guest list entirely and don’t feel too bad about it either.”

The source added: “They want a simple ceremony with none of Cher’s theatrics.”

Between the up and down relationship between Chaz and Cher, and Cher’s issues with Elijah, both children have reportedly chosen to distance themselves from their mother.

What do you think of this? Should Chaz include his mother at his wedding, or is he right to remove her? Let us know in the comments.