Cher is an American singer and actress who has dedicated nearly 6 decades of her life to music – first performing alongside her former husband, Sonny Bono, in the mid-60s and 70s, and then going on to have a booming solo career that has withstood the test of time. In addition to her musical career, Cher has also starred in several films, including Moonstruck (1987), Mermaids (1990), Burlesque (2010), and most recently Mama Mia! Here We Go Again (2018). Cher’s unique style and catchy vocals continue to sell out music venues globally even in the present day. Beyond singing, however, it seems like one of Cher’s other great passions involves real estate because this woman has owned some jaw-dropping homes over the years – and Velvet Ropes is giving you a peek into her property portfolio, both past, and present! From the place she owned with Sonny Bono, to the Cher home in Malibu – we have all the juicy details on her luxury abodes.
Where Does Cher Live?
Cher has bought and sold her fair share of incredible real estate in her time, but it seems that her mansion in Malibu, despite her past attempts to sell, is one place that she just doesn’t have the heart to part with, and this seems to be where she currently resides in her off time.
Cher House Malibu
Cher purchased this gorgeous piece of real-estate back in the early 90s for $1.5 million and over the years has transformed it into an Italian renaissance-style villa befitting a pop goddess. Finding inspiration from her many trips to Venice as well as her visit to Casa Casuarina (the famed home of Gianni Versace), Cher employed the help of her designer friend Ron Wilson, with whom she’s known since they were teenagers, to create her Italian sanctuary. The mansion is located on a high bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, allowing for nearly every room in the home to have views of the ocean below.
The 16,000 square foot, 3-story mansion displays a plethora of carefully handcrafted touches, including hand-carved marble, limestone fireplaces from Mexico, and a loggia with marble arches that were specially built for the home by a Floridian artisan, who actually lived on the property during the 2 years it took to construct them. Stamped copper ceilings, 6X4 gothic revival chandeliers, and antique tapestries – this place is a stunning time-capsule of European history, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some modern luxuries to the 6 bedroom, 7 bathroom abode, such as a theater and home gym. Outside, Cher wanted to recreate a very specific, tropical Florida vibe for the grounds – so she designed it all herself, doing so well that even her interior designer/bestie was impressed. There’s a spacious infinite pool and several verandas as well as lots of palm trees, liriope, and other tropical greenery often found in the sunshine state. There’s also a tennis court and guest house on the 1.72-acre property.
View the full Cher House Photo Gallery here!
In 2009, Cher decided to list the home for $45 million but removed the listing after several months on the market with no offers. Following her unsuccessful sale, Cher re-did some of the home’s interior and later attempted to list it again, this time shaving $4 million off her initial price tag.
So, who bought Cher’s house? Around 2016, celeb news sites were abuzz with gossip that singer Beyonce and her rapper hubby Jay Z had purchased the Malibu villa for $40 million (the number was always different give or take a mil or 2), however, it seems that whatever offer the musical power couple reportedly made was not enough for Cher to part with her beloved Malibu palace, because she never ended up selling the place and, according to property records, still owns the home as of 2020.
Cher House Beverly Hills
Cher has actually owned two Beverly Hills homes in the past, both of which she would go on to sell.
First up, the Sonny and Cher house – located in Benedict Canyon, is a 20,000+ square foot mega-mansion that she and husband at the time, Sonny Bono, purchased in the mid-70s and later sold in 1988 for $5.9 million to comedian Eddie Murphy. The Moroccan-style estate sits on 14 acres and boasts 11 bedrooms, 17 bathrooms, a 7,000 square foot guest house, and a pool cabana.
The beautifully landscaped grounds of the property feature several horse riding trails as well as 2 horse rings, 5 stables, a full-sized tennis court, and a large swimming pool, all of which is protected by guarded gates. After purchasing the home from Cher, Murphy renovated it and lived there for 7 years before selling it for loss at $4 million. Since then, the home has seen several owners and actually went back on the market in 2016 for a whopping $85 million, but it’s undergone several price drops over the years, the latest dropping the price down to $48 million.
View the full Cher House Photo Gallery here!
Second is a much more recent transaction – Cher purchased this country English-style home back in 2013 for a little over $2.1 million and she often used it as a retreat during her time in the area. The residence, built in 1957, is two stories and features beamed ceilings, reclaimed hardwood floors, French doors, and sits on over half an acre of lush, green land.
While not quite as spacious as some of her other properties, with 3,100 square feet of living space, this charming (and still quite large by normal standards) home is certainly nothing to scoff at. 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, an office/den, a spacious master suite, meditation area, and a man-made waterfall that feeds into a koi pond in the backyard – this place makes for a perfect getaway spot to escape from the hustle and bustle of daily life and get some much-needed RNR. Cher held on to the home for several years before finally deciding to sell it in 2019 for around $2.07 million.
View the full Cher House Photo Gallery here!
Cher House Holmby Hills
Once known as the largest private estate in Los Angeles, Owlwood Estate in Holmby Hills, considered one of the city’s most exclusive neighborhoods, was designed by architect Robert D. Farquhar and brought to life in 1936. This incredible estate has housed many famous names in its time, including Cher and Sonny Bono, who purchased it from Tony Curtis in 1974 for $750,000 (which would equate to around $4 million in today’s currency).
The home spans approximately 12,201 square feet and sits on 10 acres, which feature a tennis court as well as an Olympic sized swimming pool and pool house (which actress Esther Williams had built during her time as a resident of the mansion). The Italian Renaissance-style mansion boasts 9 bedrooms, 10 bathrooms, a stunning spiral staircase that leads to the second level (oh, there’s also an elevator if you don’t feel like taking the stairs), crystal chandeliers, elegant wood moldings throughout, and marble fireplaces in the formal dining room, office, and master suite.
Sonny and Cher owned the home until their divorce in 1975, which ended with Cher being awarded the posh property. She would go on to sell the place for an undisclosed amount in 1976. As of 2019, the home was on the market again for a staggering $115 million.
Cher Net Worth
So, after decades in the music industry, an unbelievable amount of hit songs, and a slew of television and film appearances, how much is Cher worth these days? As of 2020, it’s estimated that Cher has a whopping net worth of $360 million!
Cher Family
Cher isn’t the only musically gifted member of her family: her mother was a musician as well and was given a love for music at an early age by her father, Roy Malloy Crouch, who taught her how to play guitar. In both her marriages, Cher wed singers – Sonny Bono, and then George Allman. Even her son, Elijah, would also grow up to be a guitarist. Needless to say, music seems to be the lifeblood of this pop icon’s family throughout the generations. Keep reading for more on Cher’s fam!
Sonny and Cher
Sonny and Cher didn’t start out as a couple for 2 reasons; the first being that Sonny was actually smitten with Cher’s friend at the time of their meeting, and the second being that Cher was only 16 and Sonny was 27…so, yeah, their story was far from a “love at first sight” sort of thing. After being kicked out by her roommates, Cher actually moved in with Sonny under the conditions that she does household chores in exchange for a roof over her head – though she later admitted to never actually doing chores after moving in.
Despite claiming that he wasn’t attracted to her while the two lived together, their friendship would eventually take a romantic turn. Their music career started when Sonny, who was working as a songwriter before he and Cher began performing together, introduced Cher to a record producer by the name of Phil Spector (yes, that Phil Spector), who helped Cher get gigs as a backup singer on the songs “Be My Baby” and “You’ve Lost that Lovin’ Feelin’”. Cher would become incredibly nervous while singing, however, so Sonny began performing alongside her to put her nerves at ease, giving birth to what would eventually be the iconic musical duo, Sonny & Cher. In 1964, the pair had an unofficial “wedding” in the bathroom of the apartment they shared, and in 1969, the had their first and only child together. Things looked great for the couple, at least in appearance – in 1971, they became hosts of The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour on CBS, a program which quickly became one of the networks most popular shows at the time, but off-screen their marriage was quickly crumbling, which Cher would later state was due to Sonny’s infidelities and his controlling personality. Despite their emotional separation from one another, the pair stayed legally married in order to keep up appearances for their show and their child. By the time they divorced in 1975, both Sonny and Cher were already in relationships with other people.
After their split, Cher went on to have a highly successful solo career, while Sonny ended up becoming a restaurateur (Cher actually attended his restaurant opening in 83) before entering into politics and becoming mayor of Palm Springs between 1988-1992. In 1998, however, Sonny Bono died in a tragic skiing accident while on vacation in Lake Tahoe with his family. Cher was crushed by her ex-husband’s passing and even delivered a eulogy at his funeral.
Cher Children
Cher has two sons, Chaz Salvatore Bono (age 51) and Elijah Blue Allman (age 44). She had Chaz with her first husband, Sonny Bono, and Elijah with her second husband, Gregg Allman. Unsurprisingly, growing up in the public eye proved to be difficult for both children. Chaz, formally Chastity Sun Bono, grew up struggling with his identity – always feeling he was in the wrong body since Chaz was originally born female before undergoing a 3-year process between 2008 and 2010 to make the transition into the man he knew in his heart he was always meant to be.
As for Elijah, he has had his fair share of struggles as well – having battled drugs and a rocky relationship with his family. At age 8, as a means to keep Elijah away from his father (who was heavily involved in drugs at the time), Cher sent him to boarding school. Upon returning home, Elijah had difficulties returning to normal life with his family.
Despite their challenges, however, it seems both boys have gone on to have their own happy, successful lives. Chaz has starred in several series, most recently FX’s American Horror Story, and is an active advocate for the LGBTQ community, while Elijah has found success as a guitarist for several bands and married English singer Marieangela King in 2013. Allman and King eloped in a private ceremony at their home but didn’t invite Cher due to her blatant disapproval of their relationship. Elijah and his mother still have a strained relationship because of this, but he has voiced his hopes for mending things with the pop icon in the future.
Cher Mom
Cher’s mother, Georgia Holt, is a retired American singer, model, and actress. At just 6 years old, Holt was already showing off her musical talents on the Oklahoma City radio station. She won several beauty competitions in her youth and even went on to have small parts in various television series and films. In 2013, Holt appeared in the documentary Dear Mom, Love Cher, produced by daughter Cher and released the album Honky Tonk Women the same year. At age 94, Georgia is still living her best life and looking amazing all the while.
Cher’s Real Name
Cher’s stage name is simply a shortened version of her real name “Cherilyn.” Her full name is Cherilyn Sarkisian. Prior to settling on the name Cher, however, the singer went through several stage names, including Bonnie Jo Mason, and Cleo when she and husband Sonny Bono first began performing together.
How Old Is Cher?
Cher was born May 20, 1946 – meaning she is 74 years old today. But age really does seem to just be a number in her case, because even now Cher still looks incredible and has continued to perform in concerts even in 2020.
How Tall Is Cher?
Cher’s height is 5-foot, 9-inches, slightly taller than the “average” height of 5’4”.
Sources
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