Interview

Cher Candidly Opens Up About Son Chaz’s Transition From Female To Male: He’s ‘Unbelievably Happy’

Cher, Chaz Bono
AP
Cher 'Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again' film premiere, Arrivals, London, UK - 16 Jul 2018
Cher performs during a concert at the Mercedes Benz Arena in Berlin, Germany, 26 September 2019. The concert is part of her world tour 'Here We Go Again'. Cher in concert, Berlin, Germany - 26 Sep 2019
Cher performs during a concert at the Mercedes Benz Arena in Berlin, Germany, 26 September 2019. The concert is part of her world tour 'Here We Go Again'. Cher in concert, Berlin, Germany - 26 Sep 2019
Cher Cher in concert at the Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, America - 28 Apr 2014 Cher performs in concert during her Dressed to Kill 2014 Tour at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia View Gallery View Gallery 12 Photos.
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Cher spoke so openly with CNN about her son, Chaz’s, 2009 transition and how it ‘wasn’t easy’ for her at first, reflecting on some of the ‘difficult’ moments and discussing how she grew as a parent and ally.

Cher has been an advocate and ally to the LGBTQIA+ community for decades. But during an interview with CNN‘s Christiane Amanpour, the Oscar-winning actress and beloved singer, 74, spoke candidly about what she learned about herself as her son, Chaz Bono, 51, transitioned from female to male in 2009. “It was very unlike me to, in the beginning, have a problem with Chaz being gay, and it disappeared like that,” Cher said of when her son came out to her prior to his transition.

“Then we talked about (whether Chaz was) transgender for many years,” she revealed. “And (he) would say, ‘No, I don’t want to (transition). And then he went and said, ‘OK, I want to do this.'” As proud as Cher is now of her son living his most authentic, true life as the person he was meant to be, she admitted that, at first, “it wasn’t easy. I remember calling, and the old (voicemail) message … was on the phone, and that was very difficult,” she recalled.

Since that time, however, Cher has really come to know something so important about being the parent of a child who is transgender. “You don’t really lose them,” she thoughtfully mused to Christiane. “They just are in a different shape.” Beyond his activism and willingness to open up about his lived experience, there is so much for Cher to be proud of when it comes to her son.

Chaz was the first transgender person to compete on Dancing With The Stars. He appeared on the reality TV competition’s 13th season. Chaz made it to week six with his professional partner Lacey Schwimmer in 2011. Since then, Chaz has also appeared on two seasons of FX’s American Horror Story and offered his thoughtful perspective on how the trans community has been represented in entertainment media in the 2020 Netflix documentary Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen.

Cher, left, and Chaz Bono pose together after a ceremony to put Cher’s hands and feet in cement in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles on November 18, 2010 [AP].
Cher couldn’t contain her joy when talking about her son, saying that he’s “so unbelievably happy.” Chaz and Cher have been at each other’s sides for major milestone moments in their respective careers. We cannot wait to see how they continue to use their platforms to create monumental change and ignite vital conversations for years to come!