Cher and Mary Bono have found themselves in a protracted and intense battle over music royalties. Even after a judge's ruling last May, which stated that the singer's 1978 divorce agreement with ex-husband Sonny Bono was robust enough to fend off Mary's attempt to reclaim his publishing profits, the two remain locked in a fierce power struggle.

Lawyer's Arguments and Court Hearings

At a court hearing on Monday, a lawyer representing Mary contended that Cher's right to collect her 50 percent share of composition royalties for hit songs like "I Got U Babe" and "The Beat Goes On" came to an end on July 1, 2022. This was the date when Irving Azoff's Iconic Artists Group acquired Cher's music catalog in a deal that included her partial stake in Sonny's compositions awarded under the couple's marriage settlement agreement. Mary's lawyer argued that Cher should be excluded from any access to the royalties placed in an escrow account after June 30, 2022, and that Cher had no right to pass the money along to Iconic as requested.In response, Cher's lawyer pointed out the illogicality of Mary's position given the court's prior ruling protecting Cher's rights. "Cher sought [the royalties]. She's entitled to them. And she's obligated to pay them over to Iconic. Under [opposing] counsel's view, what happens to them? Mary Bono gets them? That makes absolutely no sense," Peter Anderson retorted.It remains unclear what will happen if Mary succeeds in convincing the court that Cher has no right to collect the post-June 2022 proceeds and deliver them to Iconic. There is an open question as to whether Iconic will have to file its own lawsuit. At the hearing, Mary's lawyer stated that his client is already working with Iconic. "They are a business partner of Mary Bono and Sonny Bono's children. They continue to work together to preserve Sonny's legacy," Daniel Schacht said.

The History and Background

Sonny and Cher got married in 1967 and recorded together, hosted an Emmy-winning TV show, and had a child, Chaz Bono. They broke up in 1974, and their divorce was finalized the following year. Sonny composed his biggest hits before his marriage to Cher and died in 1998 due to a skiing accident. His widow, Mary, took control of his estate on behalf of herself and his children. When Sonny's copyright grants became eligible for termination in 2018, Mary attempted to invoke the right.Cher initially sued Mary for $1 million in 2021, claiming that she was caught off guard when Sonny's widow tried to take back Cher's half of Sonny's composition royalties. In his May order granting summary judgment to Cher, U.S. District Judge John Kronstadt found that Mary's termination notice had no power to overturn the divorce judgment. He stated that Cher's rights were protected by California state law, which took precedence over the federal Copyright Act. " [Mary Bono's] notice of termination cannot affect [Cher's] contractual right to receive financial compensation in exchange for the release and permanent discharge of any and all claims arising out of her marital relationship with Sonny," the judge wrote in his May 29 ruling.In a court filing prior to the Monday hearing, Cher's lawyer emphasized that it is Mary and Sonny's children who have no claim on the escrowed royalties. He also mentioned that Iconic sent a letter to all parties in July 2024 "confirming Iconic consents to the award of the escrowed royalties to Cher."

The Ongoing Dispute and Future Proceedings

The battle between Cher and Mary Bono shows no signs of abating. A bench trial on the remaining issues in dispute between them has been scheduled for Feb. 26, 2025. In his May ruling, the judge noted that the escrow account for Cher's 50 percent stake had already accumulated $418,156.82 in composition royalties as of June 30, 2022.Cher's lawyer argued that allowing Mary to receive the post-June 30, 2022 royalties when the court has ruled that she is not entitled to them would be extremely unjust and improper. Mary's lawyer, on the other hand, asked the court to block the admission of Iconic's July 2024 letter as evidence. The judge declined to do so on Monday and urged the parties to continue efforts to reach a settlement to avoid the February bench trial.This bitter power struggle over music royalties continues to make headlines and has significant implications for both Cher and Mary Bono, as well as for Iconic Artists Group and Sonny Bono's legacy. It remains to be seen how the situation will unfold in the coming months and years.