A federal judge has denied Cher’s request to force Sonny Bono’s widow to reimburse her for over $1 million in legal fees after their royalty court battle.
After Cher’s triumph in court against Mary Bono, widow of her ex-husband Sonny, the singer requested Bono cover her legal fees, which amounted to more than $1 million. But a federal judge has denied that request, meaning Cher will have to foot her attorneys’ bill herself.
The matter centered on Mary Bono’s attempts to stop Cher’s 50% share of royalty payments from her 1978 divorce settlement with Sonny. Mary Bono argued that copyright “termination rights” allowed her to void the divorce agreement. But the judge disagreed with that interpretation, ruling that the divorce agreement took precedence over any copyright termination clauses.
