Chaz Bono has been through a lot, and being the child of a major music star and actress in Cher hasn’t made things much easier. He’s always been in the public spotlight, and that can be difficult even at the best of times.

However, few stories are more inspirational than Chaz’s is. In 2011, at age 39, he began his transition to the male gender. Cher has always been supportive of her beloved son, though things weren’t easy in the beginning.

In fact, Cher had problems with her son being gay at first. According to Chaz, she went “ballistic” when she found out.

Most people probably know Cher. When I think of her, I can’t help but think on her amazing career. When she started out, she did so alongside Sonny Bono, a person with whom she had both a wonderful and stormy relationship.

The couple met for the first time in Los Angeles, when Cher had dropped out of high school at 16 and moved LA. She took acting classes and worked to support herself. Boy, was she a terrific singer.

Chaz Bono – the son of Cher

Sonny, who was 11 years older, worked as an assistant to legendary record producer Phil Spector. Before long, the couple started to hit it off.

Bono found work for Cher as a backup session singer, where she performed on many of Specter’s recordings. The Ronettes’ super-hit Be My Baby and The Righteous Brothers’ You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling were just two of many songs Cheer worked on.

Sonny and Cher first collaborated on their own records in 1964. However, their first singles weren’t really what the audience wanted. This all changed in September 1964, when they released Baby Don’t Go.

Cher’s mother Georgia Holt had her brother Mickey hire the duo to open for the Righteous Brothers, and it was the start of a long and successful career which would culminate with Cher being labeled “The Goddess of Pop.

Cher and her family

Baby Don’t Go became the duo’s first hit, and proved the beginning of a highly successful pairing that lasted until the mid-1970s.

And on a personal level, the love between Cher and Sonny grew.

Though Cher was immediately interested in Bono, he was actually said to be more interested in one of her friends.

“I was with my girlfriend, who was really beautiful,” Cher recalled. “He liked her, so he didn’t really say anything to me. He was like, ‘Oh yeah, kid.’”

She added that “everyone just disappeared” when she first saw him, recalling that “he was the most unusual person I’d ever seen.”

Soon, Cher and Bono were living together. They began a romantic relationship, though this took a while to blossom. According to Cher, Bono simply wasn’t physically attracted to her at first. That soon changed, and the couple began dating for real.

In 1965, the two got married – and at the same time, started to work on their professional music careers.

Most importantly, the couple had a child, Chaz Bono, together. He was originally born Chastity Bono on March 4, 1969. However, because he was a celebrity child, he became famous immediately and it wasn’t long before TV audiences got to see him.

Chaz Bono – early life

Bono was named after the movie Chasity, a movie produced by Sonny. Cher played the lead role, portraying a young, bisexual hippie runaway.

Apparently, Chastity was conceived during the making of the film.

As a child, Chaz appeared numerous times in The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour. He usually came on at the end of each episode, when Sonny and Cher sang “I Got You Babe“.

In this way, Chaz became a familiar face to the American audience.

But few knew what he was going through at home and at school. Early in his life, Chaz couldn’t relate to other girls and their interests.

”I’d look at other girls my age and feel perplexed by their interest in fashion or which boy was the cutest,” Chaz told Daily Mail in 2011.

Came out as a lesbian

At age 18, Chaz came out to both parents as a lesbian.

“As a child, I always felt there was something different about me. I’d look at other girls my age and feel perplexed by their obvious interest in the latest fashion, which boy in class was the cutest, and who looked the most like cover girl Christie Brinkley,” Chaz wrote in his book Family Outing: A Guide to the Coming Out Process for Gays, Lesbians, and Their Families.”

“When I was 13, I finally found a name for exactly how I was different. I realized I was gay.”

For Cher, who would later become an icon among the LGBTQ community, it wasn’t “easy” for her to deal with her daughter coming out as a lesbian.

“When I found out Chaz was gay, I didn’t go through it that easily,” Cher said in an interview with PrideSource.

But according to Chaz himself, his mom actually “went ballistic” when he originally came out to her.

Then, at the age of 39, Chaz began his transition to the male gender.

Transition into a man

It wasn’t until 2010 that Chaz officially became a man, when a California court granted his request for a gender and name change.

In the documentary Becoming Chaz, which was shown at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival and aired on Oprah Winfrey Network, viewers got the chance to follow Chaz’s transition into 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.

Just as Chaz said himself, his mother Cher had a tough time in the beginning.

The Oscar-winning actress and singer has always been a great supporter of the LGBTQ community, but in the beginning, it sure wasn’t easy, as she recalls it.

“It was very unlike me to, in the beginning, have a problem with Chaz being gay, and it disappeared like that,” Cher told CNN in 2020, as she recalls her initial reaction.

“Then we talked about [whether Bono was] transgender for many years. And he would say, ‘No, I don’t want to [transition]. And then he went and said, ‘OK, I want to do this.’”

Hard time listening to voice message

Cher recalled calling Chaz and his old voicemail message was still on the phone. For her, it was difficult, but as hours and days went by, she slowly started to remember that nothing will change Bono essentially.

“You don’t really lose them. They just are in a different shape,” she said.

As early as 9-years of age, Cher had her first encounter with the gay community.

“One day I came home and there were these two men in my living room with my mom and my aunt,” she recalled

“They were doing their hair and talking, and I was thinking, ‘Why haven’t we ever had these kind of guys around? Because these guys are the coolest. That was my [introduction to] the gay world,” Cher said, adding that “gay people don’t feel like they fit in, and I never felt like I fit in.”

Since the aforesaid documentary aired in 2011, Chaz has appeared several times in Hollywood. The same year as the documentary was released, he actually became the first transgender man to participate in Dancing with the Stars.

Chaz Bono today

It marked the first time a transgender man had starred on a major network television show for something unrelated to being transgender, according to Advocate.com.

Five years later, Chaz starred in five episodes of American Horror Story: Roanoke, and play Reverend Rydale on The Bold and the Beautiful.

At the same time that Chaz has been building his acting career, he’s also gone through quite a weight struggle.

For many years, Chaz suffered from obesity, and simply couldn’t 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,” he told Oprah.

“I was too disconnected from my body, and to, you know – the dysphoria around, that I had with my body was too much to be able to have cared enough about to do anything like that.”

Inspirational weight loss

When Chaz first appeared Dancing With The Stars, he weighed 250lb – but the competition and all the ensuing practice made him lose weight, rapidly. That’s perhaps not so strange considering how much training and movement is required to succeed on the dance floor.

But it seems that Chaz continued with his new, healthier 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 was at 10 years ago.

Unfortunately, however, the weight loss journey has not been entirely painless for Chaz. When you lose a lot of pounds, it’s not always easy for the body to keep up. As a result, Chaz has a lot of sagging excess skin.

“It’s not fun, but it was worth it, because I look better now. I’ve cut out, you know, 99 percent of grains from my diet, ‘he revealed. ‘I pretty much eat vegetables, meat, fruit, nuts … My birthday is the one day of the year I’ll do cake,” Chaz told Extra TV.

“He did it all by himself”

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.

Chaz Bono partner

Chaz has grown up in the spotlight, and his dating history has often captured media attention. Many year ago, Chaz was linked to Jennifer Elia. The couple had been dating since 1999, and Chaz even proposed to Elia atop Seattle’s space needle.

However, their relationship was occasionally quite tumultuous. The couple went through a lot together; Jennifer Elia supported Chaz throughout his gender reassignment process and later expressed that she found her partner “more attractive” as a man.

But, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. Elia disclosed that coping with Chaz’s transition was challenging at times. She admitted to turning to alcohol again when he informed her of his final decision to undergo gender reassignment.

They couple separated in 2011.

”Chaz Bono and his fiancée, Jennifer Elia, have jointly announced that they have called off their engagement and are no longer a couple,” a rep said at the time and added: ”They leave this relationship with great love, respect and affection towards one another.”

After a few years, Chaz found love again. He entered into a relationship with his partner, Shara Mathes, starting in 2017. Sarah Mathes is a former child artist and social worker known for her roles in Hollywood. She became famous after appearing alongside Jason Bateman in the 1984 comedy series, It’s Your Move.

The show ended in 1985 and Shara has now left the entertainment industry. According to Daily Mail, she now works for homeless charity Housing Works in Los Angeles, California.

Chaz and Shara is believed to have met through mutual friends, and they sure have many things in common. However, details about the couple have been sparse, and both Chaz and Shara seem keen on keeping their relationship as private as possible. Nevertheless, some details have surfaced in the tabloids. A source close to Chaz and Shara revealed, “Shara was newly single when she first met Chaz, and she wasn’t looking for love.”

Judging by the photos shared on social media, it appears that Chaz’s family has warmly embraced Shara.

Cher’s mother, Georgia Holt, expressed her approval of Mathes by inviting her to join the family for her 91st birthday celebrations in June 2017.

Lately, both Chaz and Shara have maintained a relatively low profile about their relationship on social media in 2023. Chaz’s last post featuring them together dates back to January when the couple celebrated their 6th anniversary on January 20th. In his post, he expressed gratitude, stating, ”Shara and I celebrated our 6 year anniversary together today. I’m so grateful to share my life with this amazing woman.”

Chaz Bono is such an inspiration for us all. His courage and bravery in transitioning are amazing. Most importantly, however, he followed his heart and didn’t care what other people thought.

Please, share this story to honor Chaz Bono. Hopefully, this can encourage others in the same situation to do the same.

Jennifer Garner has revealed that she lost a friend to the devastating wildfires that continue to rip across Southern California.

At the time of writing, the death toll is said to have risen to 25, with intensifying winds threatening further destruction in the coming days. The fires, which have terrorized Los Angeles over the past few days, have burned a combined area of 60 square miles, and the return of Santa Ana winds promises conditions that will only serve to fan the flames.

Needless to say, thousands have lost homes, livelihoods, belongings, pets, and hope. Others, tragically, have lost more than that.

Among them is actress Jennifer Garner, who revealed in an interview with MSNBC earlier this week that one of her friends had died in the fires.

The Elektra star is one of the many celebrities who have stepped up to help the relief effort, partnering with a renowned chef to give assistance to impacted communities.

“I did lose a friend who did not get out in time,” Garner, 52, said in an interview. “It’s just — my heart bleeds for my friends. I mean, I can think of 100 families, and there are 5,000 homes lost.”

She continued: “I feel almost guilty walking through my house. Just, you know, what can I do? How can I help? What can I offer? What do I have to offer with these hands and these walls and the safety that I have?”

Speaking on her loss, Garner finished: “I’m looking at the chimney of somebody that I loved. […] It’s awful — kind of unimaginable.”

As per reports, Garner has joined forces with Chef José Andrés and his organization, World Central Kitchen, to help those communities affected by the blazes.

“I took advantage of a little bit of celebrity privilege and called Chef and said, ‘Please, can I come with you?’” Garner explained.

As stated, the current death toll related to the wildfires stands at 25, though that number is sadly expected to rise. Strong winds are anticipated to hit the LA region later this week, with the National Weather Service warning of a “particularly dangerous situation”.

As of Monday morning, only 14 percent of the Palisades fire (which has torched over 23,000-acres) had been contained. The Eaton fire (responsible for burning more than 14,000 acres in Altadena and Pasadena) is 33 percent contained.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of the ongoing California wildfires. Share this article on Facebook to show your support.

In 1973, the photo “Burst of Joy” captured a jubilant family rushing toward a returning POW, a moment so powerful it won a Pulitzer Prize. The image, full of euphoria, symbolized hope and reunion after the Vietnam War.

But the true story behind the photo? It’s a heartbreaking twist you won’t expect.

The Vietnam War was still raging in 1973, leaving deep scars on the American soul. But on March 17 of that year, a single photograph captured a rare moment of unfiltered joy. Taken at Travis Air Force Base in California, the image showed a returning prisoner of war, Lt. Col. Robert L. Stirm, being embraced by his whole family in an emotional homecoming.

Leading the charge was his 15-year-old daughter, Lorrie, her arms outstretched as she ran toward her father, followed closely by her brother Robert, sister Cynthia, mother Loretta, and youngest brother Roger, 12.

It was a picture-perfect moment — the kind that seemed to sum up everything Americans wanted to feel about the war’s end.

Sprinted across the runway

Lt. Col. Stirm, an Air Force fighter pilot, had been shot down over Hanoi in 1967 and spent nearly six grueling years as a prisoner of war. His family had long feared the worst, and when they finally received word that he was alive, they could hardly believe it. For Lorrie, the day felt surreal.

”I just wanted to get to Dad as fast as I could,” she told Smithsonian Magazine.

Sitting in the back seat of a station wagon on the tarmac, she had carefully chosen her favorite fuchsia miniskirt for the occasion. After six long years without him, she wanted everything to feel special.

But before they could embrace, there was another moment of waiting. Her dad was required to stand before a jubilant crowd and deliver a speech on behalf of those who had been freed as part of Operation Homecoming — the mission that brought 591 American POWs back after the Paris Peace Accords.

For the family, the wait felt endless. But when the speech was finally over, the door opened, and Lorrie took off running. Her sheer joy and eagerness earned her the nickname The Jumper or The Leaper in the years that followed.

As she sprinted across the runway, photographer Slava “Val” Veder, covering the event for The Associated Press, instinctively lifted his camera.

”You could feel the energy and the raw emotion in the air,” he recalled.

Won the Pulitzer Prize in 1974

He snapped a rapid series of shots just as the overcast sky provided perfect, shadow-free lighting.

”I had to back up 10 or 15 feet to shoot the picture over the back of another photographer. I was lucky”, said Sal Vader, a native of Berkeley, California.

The resulting image, which he titled Burst of Joy, was so powerful that he rushed to a makeshift darkroom — a repurposed women’s restroom on the base — to develop it. Within 30 minutes, the photograph was ready, and it was quickly sent out over the news wires.

It became an instant sensation, dominating newspaper front pages across the country. The following year, it won the Pulitzer Prize.

Why it became a symbol

What made this photograph so powerful that it resonated with so many people and even won the Pulitzer Prize in 1974? For one, it became the ultimate symbol of homecoming from the Vietnam War.

Lt. Col. Robert L. Stirm, then 39 years old, had endured 1,966 days in captivity —years filled with hardship. He had suffered gunshot wounds, endured torture, mock executions, and lived in constant fear.

Yet in the photograph, he appears in a crisp, new uniform, his face turned away from the camera. This anonymity made him more than just one man — it allowed him to represent all returning POWs and, in a broader sense, every soldier who had come home to waiting mothers, fathers, wives, daughters, and sons.

But despite the overwhelming joy captured in the image, there was a painful truth behind the moment — one that the photo didn’t reveal.

A hidden heartache

As with so many iconic images, there was more to the story than what the Burst of Joy photo captured.

Just three days before his return to American soil, Lt. Col. Stirm had received a devastating blow. A military chaplain delivered a letter from his wife, Loretta — a Dear John letter informing him that their marriage was over.

”I have changed drastically—forced into a situation where I finally had to grow up,” Loretta wrote. ”Bob, I feel sure that in your heart you know we can’t make it together—and it doesn’t make sense to be unhappy when you can do something about it. Life is too short.”

During his years in captivity, Loretta had been involved with other men, and by the time he returned, three of them had proposed to her. For Stirm, the news was an unbearable betrayal. The photo of his homecoming, which had come to symbolize national healing, was for him a reminder of personal loss.

”I can’t help but feel ambivalent about it,” he admitted in 2005. ”I was very pleased to see my children—I loved them and still do, and I know they had a difficult time—but there was a lot to deal with.”

”In some ways, it’s hypocritical”

Within a year, Robert and Loretta divorced. She remarried almost immediately and moved to Texas with her new husband. Stirm, meanwhile, continued his military career and was promoted to colonel before retiring in 1977.

Despite her infidelity, a judge ordered him to give Loretta 43% of his military retirement pay.

”It was kind of ironic,” Stirm later reflected. ”In some ways, it’s hypocritical, because my former wife had abandoned the marriage within a year or so after I was shot down. And she did not even have the honor and integrity to be honest with the kids. She lived a lie.”

The photo that had touched millions had, in his mind, always been a false image.

A divided family

After the divorce, custody of the children was split — Lorrie and Robert Jr. stayed with their father, while Roger and Cindy went with their mother.

”There was so much that my dad missed out on,” Lorrie later shared. ”And it took a while to let him back into our lives and accept his authority.”

For years, Stirm refused to display Burst of Joy in his home. But for his children, the image remained deeply meaningful. Decades after it was taken, all four of them had a copy hanging in their homes.

”It’s a wonderful piece of history that we just happened to stumble into,” Lorrie told AP in 1993. ”It never would have gone away in my mind, but seeing that photo brings it all back again — just all the joy that was there.”

Her younger sister, Cindy, standing just behind her in the photograph, had a more distant connection to the moment.

”It seems like another lifetime ago,” she said. ”I look at the picture, and I don’t see me. . . . I don’t feel like I was really a part of it. I was so young. I didn’t really know him when he left, and I thought it would be wonderful to have a dad because all my friends had dads at their functions.”

Why was Loretta there?

Though Loretta’s presence in the photo puzzled some — given that she had already decided to leave the marriage — her daughter Lorrie remained sympathetic to the challenges she faced.

”She had a rough job, raising four children on her own,” she said. ”She was very young.”

Loretta and Robert had met at a party just after he graduated from Air Force cadet school. They married in 1955 when she was just 19.Years later, after everything that had happened, Stirm found love again — but married and divorced once more.

Loretta passed away from cancer on August 13, 2010.

Though Burst of Joy continues to be celebrated as a symbol of resilience and reunion, for those in the photo, it remains a reminder of a far more complicated reality.

As we reflect on the iconic Burst of Joy photo, it’s clear that while the image captured a moment of triumph, it also held within it untold stories of betrayal, heartbreak, and the emotional toll of the Vietnam War.

For Lt. Col. Robert L. Stirm, the joy of the moment was intertwined with a painful reality—the collapse of a marriage, the scars of war, and the complexity of rebuilding a life after such an ordeal.

The Burst of Joy photo is more than just a snapshot of a homecoming; it’s a window into the emotional complexity of a generation that carried both the pride of survival and the weight of their personal battles. Behind every smile, every embrace, there are stories that remain untold, shaping the legacies of those who served and the families who waited.