In the suit, Cher said she and Sonny agreed to split their royalties evenly in their 1975 divorce. The musician said Mary had been attempting to improperly collect royalties not owed to her.
Cher demanded $1 million in damages and asked the court to find the divorce agreement to be valid. In response, Mary asked the court to throw out all claims.
Mary Bono filed a countersuit, claiming that she and Cher had previously cooperated in developing a mutually acceptable mechanism for collecting and disbursing the royalties.
Mary argues that this cooperation had been ongoing for over two decades. However, she asserts that the cooperation has now broken down, leading to this legal dispute.
Mary’s countersuit requests that the court deny Cher the right to approve or disapprove a worldwide administrator for the royalties owed to her and the heirs of Sonny Bono.
Mary seeks the court’s order granting her the right to exploit the recordings she holds and any revenue derived from future agreements related to them.
Epic Royalty Lawsuit Ongoing
The lawsuit, taking place in a Los Angeles federal court, delves into the details of Cher’s claims, asserting that her rights to the royalties were granted through the couple’s divorce settlement.
