Cher Sounds Off ~ Cher graces the cover of December Vanity Fair
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posted by Georgia Toomey - Tue Nov 2 2010, 4:28 PM PDT
In this day and age, where pretty much every interview is publicist-approved, where celebrities guard their words so they can't be misconstrued, and rarely say what's really on their minds for fear of alienating their fans, Cher is a breath of fresh air. In a hilariously candid interview with Vanity Fair, the iconic, award-winning singer and actress has absolutely no fear when it comes to divulging her opinions on everything from her marriage to Sonny Bono, her daughter-turned-son Chaz's sex change, and her thoughts on aging gracefully … or not.
In the feature, Cher reveals that she's still coming to terms with her daughter Chastity's new persona after she underwent gender reassignment surgery to become a man last year. "If I woke up tomorrow in a guy's body, I would just kick and scream and cry and f------ rob a bank, because I cannot see myself as anything but who I am -- a girl. I would not take it as well as Chaz has. I couldn't imagine it." While Cher is a proud mom, she admits to Vanity Fair that she still gets confused: "She's a very smart girl -- boy! This is where I get into trouble. My pronouns are f-----. I still don't remember to call her 'him.'"
She also confesses that even though they had a tumultuous relationship, she never would have left her former husband, the late Sonny Bono, if he had treated her less like a valuable commodity, and more like a wife. "I forgive him, I think," says the Oscar winner, adding, "He hurt me in so many ways, but there was something. He was so much more than a husband -- a terrible husband, but a great mentor, a great teacher... If he had agreed to just disband Cher Enterprises and start all over again, I would have never ever left. Just split it down the middle, 50-50."
Norman Jean Roy/Vanity Fair Well known for her occasional trips to the plastic surgeon's office, the 64-year-old star still looks remarkably well preserved for her age, but thinks that her "Silkwood" co-star has her beat when it comes to aging gracefully. "I think Meryl [Streep] is doing it great," praises Cher, adding with a laugh, "The stupid b–-- is doing it better than all of us! But I don't like it. It's getting in my way. I have a job to do, and it's making my job harder. I've been screaming at the top of my lungs at my family, 'Work out! Work out! Old age is coming!' At some point you will need the strength. Who would have ever thought you would get this old?"
When it comes to her family, the "Believe" singer is honest about her shortcomings as a parent to both Chaz, 41, and Elijah Blue, 34, saying that her kids still harbor some anger toward her for choosing her career over them when they were young. "I think Chaz is pretty much finished with it, and I think Elijah has a little longer to go, but they both really love me a lot. But it's hard," says Cher reflectively, adding, "One time, when Chaz was little, we were on a field trip, and she said, 'I'm so pissed off, Mom. You can never not be Cher -- we can never just do something.' So your kids pay," she concludes. "I did the best I could do, and yet it was definitely lacking."
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I've always loved how open and honest Cher's interviews are.
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I know the word 'celebrity' gets thrown around all the time, and today people confuse notoriety with fame (look at the cast of, say, 'Jersey Shore', or Paris Hilton… or, better yet, don't look at them and maybe they'll all go away), but Cher is truly a STAR. Love her or hate her, you can't deny her magnetism.
