AceShowbiz - In her newly released memoir, "Cher: The Memoir, Part 1", the iconic star reflects on her tumultuous relationship with Sonny Bono. Cher and Sonny first met when she was just 16, and he was 27. Their relationship blossomed into a dynamic professional partnership, giving rise to numerous hit songs and a popular variety TV show, "The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour".

Despite their public success, Cher reveals that their personal relationship was far from fulfilling. In detail, she recounts a particularly dark chapter from 1972 when she was 26 and working in Las Vegas.

Stuck in what she described as a "loveless marriage," Cher describes standing on her hotel balcony, feeling "dizzy with loneliness" and contemplating ending her life. She writes, "I saw how easy it would be to step over the edge and simply disappear. For a few crazy minutes I couldn't imagine any other option."

Thoughts of her family - her young child Chaz, her mother Georgia, and her sister Georganne - ultimately kept her from making a tragic decision. Cher realized, "Things like this could make people who look up to me feel that it's a viable solution."

It was then that she found an unexpected epiphany, "I don't have to jump off. I can just leave him." Shortly after, Cher and Bono separated, filing for divorce in 1974 and finalizing it the following year after a challenging custody battle.

Though their marriage ended, Cher and Bono managed to maintain professional and amicable relations, even reuniting for "The Sonny & Cher Show". Reflecting on the past, Cher shared in 2023 that Bono's eventual apology meant a lot to her.

She remembered, "One day he came into the kitchen at my house and said, 'Cher, I want to apologize. I realized that I hurt you in so many ways, and I was wrong.' " Bono passed away in 1998, but his acknowledgment brought some peace to Cher.

Cher's memoir, released on November 19, uncovers her early years, her rise to fame, and her struggles within her marriage. Promoting the book on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon", she shared how difficult it was to write about her life, stating, "It was a b***h. It's not going through your life that's hard so much. But I did it a couple of times because the first time it didn't work out. The second time I just didn't want to tell anything."

As she embarks on a global book tour and hints at new music, Cher's story stands as a testament to resilience and the power of self-reclamation. Her journey from contemplating a tragic end to choosing life and freedom is an inspiring narrative for young people facing their own struggles.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or visit 988lifeline.org.