Cher reflects on her romance with Sonny Bono: "it wasn't love at first sight"

Music legend Cher recently shared that her romance with singer-politician Sonny Bono didn’t begin with love at first sight.

In an upcoming appearance on CBS Sunday Morning, the singer-songwriter reflected on her relationship with her late ex-husband during a conversation with host Anthony Mason, as reported by People magazine.

Mason asked Cher about their first meeting, which took place in 1962. He said, "You meet Sonny in a coffee shop. He's wearing a mohair suit and a mustard-colored shirt."

Cher, smiling, replied, "With a white collar and Beatle boots, but they were called Cuban boots."

When asked what she thought of Bono at the time, Cher likened their first encounter to the iconic couple Tony and Maria in West Side Story, saying, "I thought it was like when Tony met Maria. I mean, everybody disappeared."

Despite the magical moment, Cher admitted, "He didn't like me. It wasn't love at first sight. It was something. I never felt it before."

According to People, Cher, who was 16 at the time, eventually became involved with 27-year-old Bono. She accepted his offer to be his housekeeper, and their relationship eventually turned romantic.

"He liked my girlfriend," Cher recalled. "When I had to go live with him, he said, 'You know, you can come and stay with me.' And I was like, 'OK.' And he went, 'No, no. I don’t find you particularly attractive.' So I was upset and happy at the same time."

Mason asked Cher if their 11-year age gap was ever an issue. She replied that Bono was "kind of childish," which allowed him to be "real" with her. "Because I didn't expect anything. I didn’t want money. I didn’t think about anything, you know?"

The Believe singer also noted that the women who tried to court Bono at the time "wanted him to be grown up." Cher fondly remembered a day when they "got a candle and we just watercolored all day long, trying to get it right. And I don’t think those ladies wanted to do that."