Iconic singer and legendary performer, Cher, has long been credited with churning out some of the best tunes that ever came out of the 60s and 70s. After stunning the world with hit after hit as part of the epic duo, Sonny & Cher, she has continued to enjoy regular royalty payments from her hard work during that musical era. Suddenly, all that money has been seized by Sonny Bono's widow, Mary Bono, who has just financially cut Cher off, and has refused her any further royalty payments.

Bewildered and confused by this abrupt, and seemingly unauthorized change, Cher stands to lose well over $1 million worth of royalty payments, and has quickly taken legal action and has filed a lawsuit against Sonny Bono's widow, citing her right to 50% of all profits and royalties at all times.

Cher's Income Stream Gets Blocked

There has been no indication as to why Sonny's widow would suddenly decide she deserves to deposit 100% of all royalties into her account, leaving Cher without anything for herself. It seems to be a bold, irrational move, and it appears to be one that has not yet been substantiated.

Royalties for mega-hit songs such as I Got You Babe, and The Beat Goes On, are rightfully split between Cher and Sonny's estate, and have been since the very beginning of their relationship. Cher's income stream has been blocked by Mary Bono, but Cher can't comprehend any logical reason for this sudden change.

Cher's team has spoken to the press and insists that since the time of their divorce in 1975, the couple had legally drafted an agreement which clearly indicates they each would receive "an equal division of their community property," and Cher is adamant that this agreement covered a 50/50 split of all royalties.

She's taking this fight right to court and has already filed legal documents.

RELATED: These Are The Richest Men Cher Has Been Linked To

The Baffling 'Termination'

This entire situation has truly been baffling to fans, and presumably has has completely sideswiped Cher, who had no idea this was even possible.

It's been roughly a month since Cher received a 'notice of termination' from Sonny's widow. This paperwork effectively gave her notice that she was terminated from receiving royalties, without offering any reasonable grounds for such bold action.

What makes matters even more questionable, is the fact that Sonny passed away in 1998, and it's been a full 23 years since his death. If his widow was intending to grapple for money, it's not clear why should try to seal up Cher's funds so long after his death. If the division of royalties was in question, most would assume that Mary would have aired her grievances long ago.

It's not clear what sparked this sudden attempt to rob Cher of millions, but the matter has been swiftly escalated to the legal system, and the courts will soon intervene.

NEXT: Cher Once Rejected One Of The Most Famous People Of All Time