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Cher opened up about the demise of her marriage to Sonny Bono in part one of her two-part memoir, Cher: The Memoir, Part One and Part Two, released on Tuesday (November 19).
According to People, the "Believe" star was just 16 years old when she met Bono, 27. The pair went on to create chart-topping duet "I Got You Babe" in 1965, shortly after their unofficial marriage in 1964. The star-studded duo had their only child, Chaz, in 1969, and garnered great success with The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour in the early '70s.
Cher opened up about intricacies within their marriage in the new memoir, revealing that she felt "trapped" and that their union felt "loveless" for quite some time. There were even moments when the "Little Man" icon questioned her worth to the point of jumping off a balcony in Las Vegas, citing a specific moment from 1972.
"I was dizzy with loneliness. I saw how easy it would be to step over the edge and simply disappear. For a few crazy minutes I couldn't imagine any other option. I did this five or six times."
After thinking of how her loved ones would feel if she made the decision to jump, Cher decided:
"I don't have to jump off. I can just leave him." The couple called it quits three years later in 1975.
Though their marriage was riddled with problems, Cher told People (in a 2023 interview) that Bono came to her house to settle their differences before his death in 1998.
"One day he came into the kitchen at my house and said, 'Cher, I want to apologize. I realized that I hurt you in so many ways, and I was wrong.' That went a long way for me."
For more on Cher's latest tell-all, Cher: The Memoir, Part One and Part Two, read: Cher Reveals 'Brutally Honest' Truth About Forthcoming Memoir.
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline 24/7 by dialing "988," reach out to the Crisis Text Line by texting "HOME" to 741741, or visit 988lifeline.org.