RELATED: Cher’s real name isn’t actually ‘Cher’
Chaz Bono
Chaz Bono, the eldest of Cher’s kids, was born as Chastity Bono on March 4, 1969. Originally known as Cher’s daughter with then-spouse Sonny Bono, Chaz later came out as transgender. When he was still a child, Chaz appeared numerous times in The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour and Cher, his mother’s failed solo show.
Chaz had a difficult time growing up. He wasn’t able to relate to other girls and their interests. He originally came out as a lesbian to his parents when he was 18, before transitioning to male later on in life.
Cher and Chaz
Despite being an icon and ally to the LGBTQ, Cher didn’t take the news of his coming out well, as detailed in Chaz’s 1998 memoirs Family Outing. Reports vary on the matter, with Cher claiming that it was because coming out at the time would have led to an even more difficult life, especially since Chaz was the child of two famous parents.
Chaz, on the other hand, felt that Cher wanted a daughter to play dress-up with, but that just wasn’t who he was. Eventually, the two reconciled, with Cher doing having her own ‘coming out party’ as a supportive mother of a lesbian.
Sonny and Chaz
Originally, Chaz and Sonny Bono got along fine, thanks to their shared love for music. The two even performed some songs together. Unfortunately, their relationship would become strained when Sonny became a Republican congressman for California. Due to their different political views, the two stopped talking to each other for more than a year before Sonny passed away during a fatal skiing accident in 1998.
Chaz’s Television Career
The eldest of started appearing in a number of television shows after the release of the documentary Becoming Chaz, which detailed his identity struggles and transition. Chaz also competed on 2011’s Dancing With The Stars but was eliminated after a couple of weeks.
Cher did send her support to Chaz numerous times through social media whenever he appeared. In a 2014 episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race, he appeared as a guest judge. Chaz has also starred in numerous episodes of American Horror Story: Roanoke and American Horror Story: The Cult.
Elijah Blue Allman
Infamously known as the ‘other’ Cher son, Elijah Blue Allman was born on July 10, 1976. He is the second son of musical icon and one of the many children of Greg Allman, Cher’s husband at the time. Elijah pursued music more passionately than his brother Chaz, becoming the lead singer and guitarist of the band Deadsy.
Gregg and Elijah
Unfortunately, Elijah and Gregg didn’t have a very close relationship. Gregg was battling a lot of substance abuse over the years, and Cher was worried about how it would impact Elijah, so she sent her son to boarding school at the age of 8. Gregg died in 2017 at the age of 69, and though the two were never close, they did briefly bond before his death.
Elijah and Cher
Sadly, things aren’t much better with his mother. Cher’s son felt abandoned when he was sent to a boarding school at such a young age. While Cher thought it would be best for Elijah, the lack of a proper father figure made him constantly pine for one, trying to bond with the various men his mother dated.
Both Cher and Elijah have tried reconciliation, but things have only gotten worse! When Elijah eloped with his partner Angie King, Cher was not invited to the wedding. Since the two got married, the singer hasn’t met with her daughter-in-law, even on family holidays.
Just like his father, Elijah Allman is quite the musician. Aside from his band Deadsy, he has also worked with Jared Leto’s band 30 Seconds to Mars. Elijah has also tried auditioning for Nine Inch Nails as their guitarist but then lost the spot to Robin Finck. He hasn’t really recorded much music since.
Chaz and Elijah
The two Cher children were pretty close when they were kids. Unfortunately, due to their different lifestyles and them growing apart, the half-siblings don’t really have much of a relationship these days. Considering how different both of their lives are now, that probably won’t change anytime soon.
Family Troubles
It’s clear that the struggles of fame got to Cher’s children, whether they wanted it to or not. While it’s not all bad – Chaz still has an acting career while Elijah is mostly under most people’s radar these days – it’s clear that fame has a price, and it took a toll on Cher’s kids.
