Cher Says Lucille Ball Gave Her Shocking Marriage Advice

Lucille Ball wears a gold floral dress with flowery jewelry while Cher poses in a turquoise Bob Mackie bodysuit — (Image credit: Weegee(Arthur Fellig)/International Center of Photography/Getty Images/Harry Langdon/)

Music legend Cher is opening up about her life and career in her new book, Cher: The Memoir, Part One. In a new excerpt shared by Today, the "Believe" singer revealed that she asked Lucille Ball for advice while struggling in her marriage to Sonny Bono.

"I called Lucille Ball to ask for her advice," Cher explained. "I told her, 'Lucy, I want to leave Sonny and you're the only one I know that's ever been in this same situation. What should I do?' Lucy and her husband had also become famous working together as stars on TV."

Cher, of course, is referencing Ball's marriage with I Love Lucy co-star Desi Arnaz. "And he was a huge womanizer too," the singer wrote. "Then Lucy had left him. She told me, 'F*ck him, you're the one with the talent.'"

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It would seem that Ball's advice was helpful, as Cher finalized her divorce from Bono in 1975.

Lucille Ball, Cher, and Elliott Gould appear together in a television special — Lucille Ball, Cher, and Elliott Gould on February 15, 1979.

Cher also revealed in the memoir that she'd been acquainted with Ball from a young age, and the pair reconnected in 1972 at an election results party hosted by Jack Benny.

"Lucille was clearly bored too, because as the votes started coming in she began making wisecracks about the 'windbags' giving commentary on what each update meant," Cher wrote.

Sonny Bono and Cher at the Golden Globes in 1973.

In another excerpt from her memoir, Cher recalled feeling "trapped" in her "loveless marriage" to Bono, via People. Reflecting on a devastating night in Las Vegas in 1972, Cher said, "I was dizzy with loneliness." She stepped out on to her hotel balcony, and considered suicide. "I saw how easy it would be to step over the edge and simply disappear," the singer wrote.

Cher continued, "For a few crazy minutes I couldn't imagine any other option. I did this five or six times." Ultimately, Cher realized, "I don't have to jump off... I can just leave him." She also considered the impact her death might have on her fans, writing, "[T]hings like this could make people who look up to me feel that it's a viable solution."

If you or someone you know is at risk of suicide please call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text TALK to 741741, or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.

Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.