Chaz Bono has faced numerous challenges throughout his life, with the added complexity of being the child of Cher, a renowned music star and actress. Growing up under the constant gaze of the public eye presented its own set of difficulties, even during the most favorable moments.
Few stories, however, shine as brightly as Chaz’s. In 2011, at the age of 39, he embarked on his transition to male, a bold and courageous step. Cher, his devoted mother, has consistently supported her son, though their journey together had its share of early struggles.
Initially, Cher found it challenging to accept her son’s identity as a gay individual. According to Chaz, she reacted with intense emotion when he first shared this part of himself with her.
Cher’s name is synonymous with an extraordinary career. Her rise to fame began alongside Sonny Bono, with whom she shared a dynamic and sometimes turbulent relationship.
Their story began in Los Angeles, where a 16-year-old Cher, having left high school, pursued acting classes while working to support herself. Her vocal talent was undeniable, a gift that would soon captivate audiences. Sonny, 11 years her senior, was an assistant to the legendary record producer Phil Spector. The two quickly connected, sparking both a personal and professional partnership.
Sonny secured opportunities for Cher as a backup singer, contributing to iconic recordings like The Ronettes’ Be My Baby and The Righteous Brothers’ You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’. In 1964, Sonny and Cher began collaborating on their own music, though their early singles struggled to find an audience. Their breakthrough came in September 1964 with the release of Baby Don’t Go, a turning point in their career.
Cher’s mother, Georgia Holt, played a pivotal role in their ascent by arranging for them to open for the Righteous Brothers, marking the start of a prolific career that would earn Cher the title “The Goddess of Pop.” The success of Baby Don’t Go launched Sonny and Cher into stardom, a partnership that thrived until the mid-1970s.
On a personal level, Cher and Sonny’s connection deepened. Though Cher was instantly drawn to him, Sonny initially had eyes for one of her friends. “I was with my girlfriend, who was really beautiful,” Cher recalled. “He liked her, so he didn’t really say anything to me.” Yet, Cher described an immediate spark upon meeting him, noting that “everyone just disappeared” when she saw Sonny, whom she found to be “the most unusual person” she’d ever encountered.
Their romance took time to flourish. Initially, Sonny didn’t feel a physical attraction to Cher, but their bond grew, leading to a committed relationship. By 1965, they were married, balancing their burgeoning music careers with their personal lives. That same year, they welcomed their child, Chaz Bono, originally named Chastity, born on March 4, 1969. As the child of two celebrities, Chaz was thrust into the spotlight from an early age, appearing on television and becoming a familiar face to audiences.
Chaz’s name was inspired by the film Chastity, produced by Sonny, in which Cher starred as a young, bisexual hippie runaway. The film’s production coincided with Chaz’s conception, intertwining his identity with his parents’ creative legacy.
As a child, Chaz frequently appeared on The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour, often joining his parents on stage during their performance of I Got You Babe. These moments endeared him to viewers across America. Yet, behind the scenes, Chaz grappled with feelings of difference. “I’d look at other girls my age and feel perplexed by their interest in fashion or which boy was the cutest,” he shared in a 2011 Daily Mail interview.
At 18, Chaz came out to his parents as a lesbian. Reflecting on his childhood, he wrote in his book Family Outing: A Guide to the Coming Out Process for Gays, Lesbians, and Their Families, “As a child, I always felt there was something different about me. I’d look at other girls my age and feel perplexed by their obvious interest in the latest fashion, which boy in class was the cutest, and who looked the most like cover girl Christie Brinkley. When I was 13, I finally found a name for exactly how I was different. I realized I was gay.”
For Cher, a future icon of the LGBTQ community, accepting her child’s identity was not immediate. “When I found out Chaz was gay, I didn’t go through it that easily,” she admitted in a PrideSource interview. Chaz later revealed that Cher’s initial reaction was far more intense, describing how she “went ballistic” when he came out.
In 2010, at age 39, Chaz took a monumental step, legally transitioning to male through a California court that granted his gender and name change. The documentary Becoming Chaz, premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival and aired on the Oprah Winfrey Network, offered an intimate look at his journey. “My mother went through a kind of mourning period,” Chaz told SBS Australia. “It was difficult for her, and we didn’t see each other for about the first year of my transition.”
Cher, despite her advocacy for the LGBTQ community, found the process challenging. “It was very unlike me to, in the beginning, have a problem with Chaz being gay, and it disappeared like that,” she told CNN in 2020. She recalled a moment of difficulty when she heard Chaz’s old voicemail message after his transition, but over time, she embraced the realization that “you don’t really lose them. They just are in a different shape.”
Cher’s early exposure to the gay community came at age 9, when she met two men in her living room with her mother and aunt. “They were doing their hair and talking, and I was thinking, ‘Why haven’t we ever had these kind of guys around? Because these guys are the coolest,’” she recalled, marking the beginning of her connection to the community.
Since his transition, Chaz has made significant strides in Hollywood. In 2011, he became the first transgender man to compete on Dancing with the Stars, a milestone for visibility, as it was the first time a transgender man appeared on a major network show for reasons unrelated to his gender identity, according to Advocate.com. He later appeared in American Horror Story: Roanoke and played Reverend Rydale on The Bold and the Beautiful.
Alongside his acting career, Chaz faced a significant personal challenge with his weight. For years, he struggled with obesity, feeling disconnected from his body. His gender transition marked a turning point toward a healthier lifestyle. “I would have never been able to do it before,” he told Oprah. “I was too disconnected from my body, and the dysphoria around that I had with my body was too much to be able to have cared enough to do anything like that.”
His participation in Dancing with the Stars catalyzed rapid weight loss, dropping from 250 pounds through the intense physical demands of the competition. Chaz sustained this commitment, adopting a diet focused on vegetables, meat, fruit, and nuts, with minimal grains. “My birthday is the one day of the year I’ll do cake,” he told Extra TV. Though his weight loss left him with excess skin, Chaz affirmed, “It’s not fun, but it was worth it, because I look better now.”
Cher has consistently celebrated her son’s resilience. “He did it all by himself. He made up his own mind and he did it. And it was like what — 85, 90 pounds. Wow! … I do not know if I’d have that courage,” she said in 2013.
Chaz’s personal life has also drawn attention. He was in a long-term relationship with Jennifer Elia, beginning in 1999. Chaz proposed to her atop Seattle’s Space Needle, and Elia supported him through his transition, later expressing that she found him “more attractive” as a man. However, their relationship faced challenges, with Elia turning to alcohol during Chaz’s transition. They parted ways in 2011, with a representative stating, “They leave this relationship with great love, respect, and affection towards one another.”
In 2017, Chaz began dating Shara Mathes, a former child actress known for her role in the 1984 series It’s Your Move alongside Jason Bateman. Now a social worker with the homeless charity Housing Works in Los Angeles, Shara met Chaz through mutual friends. The couple has kept their relationship private, though a source told Daily Mail, “Shara was newly single when she first met Chaz, and she wasn’t looking for love.” Cher’s mother, Georgia Holt, welcomed Shara, inviting her to her 91st birthday celebration in 2017.
In January 2023, Chaz and Shara celebrated their sixth anniversary. “I’m so grateful to share my life with this amazing woman,” Chaz wrote on social media. Their bond, though private, reflects a deep connection built on shared values.
Chaz Bono’s journey is a testament to courage and authenticity. His determination to live as his true self, despite public scrutiny, serves as an inspiration. By following his heart, Chaz has shown others the power of embracing their identity.
Please share this story to celebrate Chaz Bono’s remarkable journey and inspire others to live authentically.
