Cher opens up about transgender son’s sex change: ‘It was hard for a mother’

Cher has opened up about her transgender son Chaz, admitting that finding out her child wanted gender reassignment surgery was ‘hard for a mother.’

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by Abi Hooper |
Updated on

‘It was hard for a mother. I had this one child and I was waiting for the new child'

Cher, now 67, gave birth to daughter Chastity in 1969 after four miscarriages with husband Sonny.

After coming out at 18, Chastity told Cher they were transgender and in 2009 they underwent surgery to change their sex.

A year later, Chastity's name was changed to Chaz – who is now 44 years old.

Cher pictured with husband Sonny and their daughter in 1972
Cher pictured with husband Sonny and their daughter in 1972

Speaking to a UK newspaper, Cher has admitted she struggled to come to terms with her child’s new identity.

"I was really supportive as we had talked about it over the years. But I admit it was difficult in the beginning.

"It was hard for a mother. I had this one child and I was waiting for the new child.

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Cher with Chastity in 1998 - before she had undergone gender reassignment

"There was this part in between where you don’t know what you are going to have.

"You don’t know what your relationship is going to be. It was a scary period – the unknown is always really frightening."

But Cher said that the two of them are now closer than ever, "Chaz is unbelievably happy. He just lost 85lbs – he was carrying around that weight almost as if it was his sadness but he looks so amazing."

She said that adapting to Chaz’s new voice - altered by hormone treatment – was the hardest.

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Cher pictured in London on Tuesday - the 67 year-old has said she works out 5 times a week to stay in shape

'The loss I thought I was going to feel, I don’t feel one iota’

"That was the weirdest thing," she said, adding, "I called one day and the answering message came on and it was Chaz as a girl.

"I thought 'Oh my god, I am never going to hear that voice again'. It was a sense of mourning. I said to Chaz is there any way I can keep that and Chaz said I don’t think so, Mum.

"Now it doesn’t make any difference as I don’t feel a loss at all. The loss I thought I was going to feel, I don’t feel one iota."

Cher also has a second son Elijah – who she had with rock star Gregg Allman in 1976.

She hopes that Elijah might be able to help her realize her hopes of becoming a grandmother.

"I really would like to be one," she told the newspaper. "It would be so great to have the fun part and then send the child home. I’m hoping Elijah may help on that front."

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