Tina Turner sought advice from Cher before walking away from her abusive marriage to Ike Turner. The iconic singer’s decision would later inspire millions of domestic abuse survivors worldwide, with her story becoming a symbol of resilience and strength.
Turner, who died in May 2023 at 83, turned to Cher, who was married to Sonny Bono between 1964 and 1975, when she was thinking of leaving Ike. Her friendship with Cher would span over five decades, becoming one of the most enduring relationships in the music industry.
“Early in our relationship, our German shepherd puppy got under Sonny’s feet while he was cooking and yelped as he shoved it to one side with his foot,” Cher recalled. The Daily Mail published excerpts of her book, Cher: The Memoir, in which she recounts the incident. It occurred during the height of their fame when their show “The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour” was among the most watched programs on television.
“‘Hey, Son, don’t do that!’ I said,” Cher continued with the story. The moment would become a turning point in their relationship, reflecting a pattern that many domestic abuse survivors recognize as an early warning sign.
“Before I knew it, he had spun around and pushed me up against a wall,” the singer said. “He didn’t yell, and he didn’t hit me, but he had a hold of my shoulder, and his face was clenched. I was so vehemently opposed to being manhandled, having seen my mother go through it, that I thought, ‘F— this.”
Cher’s mother, Georgia Holt, had herself survived multiple abusive relationships, shaping her daughter’s strong stance against domestic violence.
“Staring into his eyes, I said, ‘Let me tell you something: If you ever touch me like this again, it’ll be the last time you ever see me,’ ” Cher said. According to the memoir, this confrontation occurred in Bono’s and Cher’s Beverly Hills home, which they had purchased at the height of their success in the early 1970s.
“I wasn’t kidding, and he could see that I meant it,” Cher stated.
This moment would later inspire Cher to become an advocate for domestic abuse survivors, supporting numerous organizations and shelters throughout her career.
Cher can still remember Tina Turner turning to her while she was going through a similar experience. Their conversation took place during a particularly difficult period in Turner’s life, when she was struggling to maintain her public persona while dealing with private trauma.
Years later, one of the guests on my prime-time TV show, “Cher,” was Turner, a breathtaking performer who appeared with her then-husband Ike. The episode, which aired in 1975, would become one of the most-watched segments of the show’s run.
“Before we went on, she came to my room asking if I had some cover-up,” Cher said. “She had a bruise on her arm she didn’t want showing on camera.”
This interaction occurred backstage at CBS Television City in Hollywood, where the show was filmed.
“She sat down while I looked for it and then quietly said, very straightforward, ‘Tell me how you left him,’ ” Cher said. This pivotal conversation would mark the beginning of Turner’s journey to freedom, leading to her eventual escape from Ike Turner in 1976 with just 36 cents in her pocket.
The memoir reveals the profound impact of female solidarity in the entertainment industry during an era when domestic abuse was rarely discussed publicly. Both women would go on to have remarkable solo careers, with their combined record sales exceeding 300 million copies worldwide. Their story continues to inspire generations of women to stand up against abuse and reclaim their power.
