Cher Says a Bruised Tina Turner Once Asked for Advice on How to ‘Leave’ Abusive Husband Ike

Mar. 15, 2025

Tina Turner and Cher in 2008.Photo:Kevin Mazur/WireImage

Kevin Mazur/WireImage

Cheronce gaveTina Turnersome life-changing advice.In her new memoir,Cher: The Memoir, Part One, out Nov. 19, the actress-singer, 78, writes that Turner once came to her asking for her for advice on how to leave her husbandIke Turner.In the book, Cher recalls Turner coming onThe Sonny & Cher Showtwice with musician Ike, and they became friends. During one of the days they were filming the show, the “Private Dancer” artist asked theMermaidsstar for some makeup to cover a bruise on her arm.Tina Turner and Cher in February 2008.Kevin Mazur/WireImageShe then asked Cher how she leftSonny Bono, whom she married in 1969 and divorced in 1975 andclaims once “manhandled” herin the book.“I looked at her and told her, ‘I just walked out and kept on going,'” the “Believe” singer writes.Cher recalls that while they were rehearsing, Ike “didn’t smile one time” and played the guitar “without any emotion.““I just knew whatever he was feeling wasn’t good,” she writes.Tina Turner and Cher.Richard Corkery/NY Daily News Archive/GettyTurner married Ike in 1962, and they divorced in 1976. Throughout much of the 1960s and ’70s, they performed together as the Ike & Tina Turner Revue.In aninterview with PEOPLEfrom December 1981, Turner opened up abouther abusive marriage to Ikeand how she escaped it.“I was living a life of death,” she said. “I didn’t exist. I didn’t fear him killing me when I left, because I was already dead. When I walked out, I didn’t look back.“Turner recalled feeling like “just a shadow” in the mid-1960s during their Ike & Tina Turner Revue success, telling PEOPLE, “Ike took care of everything — the sound, the band, hiring people, management and money” while she was expected to make breakfast for the band at 4 a.m.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Tina and Ike Turner in April 1975.CBS via Getty ImagesLater in their marriage, she found strength in studying and practicing Buddhism. But Ike’s physical abuse worsened.“When Ike saw me chanting,” Turner said of her ex, who died at age 76 in 2007., “the veins in his face popped out. He didn’t want to hear about anything that would give me power.“While she said Ike could be “very loving,” it didn’t come without strings.“He helped a lot of people in trouble. But you owed him your life. He didn’t give freely,” Turner —who died in 2023 at the age of 83— said.If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go tothehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

Cheronce gaveTina Turnersome life-changing advice.

In her new memoir,Cher: The Memoir, Part One, out Nov. 19, the actress-singer, 78, writes that Turner once came to her asking for her for advice on how to leave her husbandIke Turner.

In the book, Cher recalls Turner coming onThe Sonny & Cher Showtwice with musician Ike, and they became friends. During one of the days they were filming the show, the “Private Dancer” artist asked theMermaidsstar for some makeup to cover a bruise on her arm.

Tina Turner and Cher in February 2008.Kevin Mazur/WireImage

She then asked Cher how she leftSonny Bono, whom she married in 1969 and divorced in 1975 andclaims once “manhandled” herin the book.

“I looked at her and told her, ‘I just walked out and kept on going,'” the “Believe” singer writes.

Cher recalls that while they were rehearsing, Ike “didn’t smile one time” and played the guitar “without any emotion.”

“I just knew whatever he was feeling wasn’t good,” she writes.

Tina Turner and Cher.Richard Corkery/NY Daily News Archive/Getty

Richard Corkery/NY Daily News Archive/Getty

Turner married Ike in 1962, and they divorced in 1976. Throughout much of the 1960s and ’70s, they performed together as the Ike & Tina Turner Revue.

In aninterview with PEOPLEfrom December 1981, Turner opened up abouther abusive marriage to Ikeand how she escaped it.

“I was living a life of death,” she said. “I didn’t exist. I didn’t fear him killing me when I left, because I was already dead. When I walked out, I didn’t look back.”

Turner recalled feeling like “just a shadow” in the mid-1960s during their Ike & Tina Turner Revue success, telling PEOPLE, “Ike took care of everything — the sound, the band, hiring people, management and money” while she was expected to make breakfast for the band at 4 a.m.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Tina and Ike Turner in April 1975.CBS via Getty Images

CBS via Getty Images

Later in their marriage, she found strength in studying and practicing Buddhism. But Ike’s physical abuse worsened.

“When Ike saw me chanting,” Turner said of her ex, who died at age 76 in 2007., “the veins in his face popped out. He didn’t want to hear about anything that would give me power.”

While she said Ike could be “very loving,” it didn’t come without strings.

“He helped a lot of people in trouble. But you owed him your life. He didn’t give freely,” Turner —who died in 2023 at the age of 83— said.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go tothehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

source: people.com