Cher is a well-known name, and when we think about her, we might also remember her relationship with Sonny Bono.
They had a child together, named Chaz Bono. Chaz, who was born as Chastity Bono on March 4, 1969, became famous because of his parents. He quickly became known to the public, especially because of TV appearances.
Bono got his name from a movie called “Chastity,” which was produced by Sonny. Cher starred in the movie as a young hippie runaway who was bisexual.
Chastity Bono, now known as Chaz, was born while the movie was being made.
When Chaz was a kid, he often showed up on The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour. He usually appeared at the end of each episode when Sonny and Cher sang “I Got You Babe”.
So, people in America knew who Chaz was.
But not many knew about his struggles at home and at school. When he was young, Chaz didn’t feel like he fit in with other girls. He didn’t understand why they were so interested in fashion and boys.
“When I was 13, I realized I was gay,” Chaz said in a book he wrote.
Cher, who later became a big supporter of the LGBTQ community, found it hard when Chaz told her he was gay.
“When I found out Chaz was gay, I didn’t handle it well,” Cher said in an interview.
But according to Chaz, his mom was really upset when he first told her.
When Chaz was 39, he started transitioning to become a man.
“When I found out Chaz was transitioning, we talked about it a lot. But then Chaz didn’t mention it anymore, so I kind of forgot. I think there’s a fear of losing the child you love and what will replace that child,” said Cher.
Cher added, “I think it’s mostly about fear. I was worried about who this new person would be. I know Chaz as he is now, but who will the new person be and how will it work? Will I have lost somebody?”
It wasn’t until 2010 that Chaz officially became a man. A court in California granted his request to change his gender and name.
In the documentary “Becoming Chaz,” which was shown at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival and aired on the Oprah Winfrey Network, viewers got to see Chaz’s journey to becoming a man.
“My mother went through a kind of mourning period. It was difficult for her, and we didn’t see each other for about the first year of my transition,” Chaz told SBS Australia.
The documentary has many emotional parts, including an interview with Cher after she heard Chaz’s new voice, changed by hormones.
“I was really upset when I heard his voice on the phone. It was his old voice,” Cher said. “I remember asking, ‘Can I save it somehow?’ But it was gone. I won’t hear it again.”
After the documentary, Chaz appeared in Hollywood several times. In 2011, he made history as the first transgender man to be on “Dancing with the Stars.” It was also the first time a transgender man was on a big TV show for something unrelated to being transgender, according to Advocate.com.
Five years later, he starred in five episodes of American Horror Story: Roanoke and play Reverend Rydale on The Bold and the Beautiful.
For many years, Chaz Bono suffered from obesity and he did not thrive in his body. The turning point towards a healthier lifestyle came when he began his gender transition.
“I would have never been able to do it before,” Chaz told Oprah Winfrey a few years ago. “I was too disconnected from my body, and the dysphoria around it was too much for me to care enough about doing anything like that.”
When Chaz joined “Dancing With The Stars,” he weighed 250 pounds. But with all the practice and dancing, he quickly lost weight. That’s not surprising considering how much training and movement is needed to do well on the dance floor.
It seems Chaz kept up his healthy lifestyle even after the TV show. He has continued to lose weight, and new pictures of him show that he is far from the unhealthy weight he had 10 years ago.
Unfortunately, losing weight hasn’t been easy for Chaz. When you lose a lot of weight, your body doesn’t always bounce back perfectly. Chaz has a lot of sagging skin left over.
“It’s not fun, but it was worth it because I look better now,” Chaz said. “I’ve cut out almost all grains from my diet. I mostly eat vegetables, meat, fruit, and nuts. On my birthday, I’ll have cake, but that’s the only day.” Chaz told Extra TV.
His mother, Cher, has repeatedly praised her son’s courage and journey towards a healthier lifestyle.
”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.” Cher said in 2013.
Isn’t it great to see how Chaz is doing now? He’s been through a lot, but he has a positive attitude and seems much happier now that he’s found himself.
I hope his story can inspire others out there! If you agree, feel free to share this article!