Why Cher Once Turned Down Elvis Presley

A younger Cher once turned down none other than Elvis Presley.

“It was because I was nervous and I knew of the people around him and it wasn’t that they were bad people, it’s just that I was kind of nervous of his reputation,” Cher, 77, said on Wednesday, May 1, episode of The Jennifer Hudson Show. “I’m really shy when I’m not working and kind of shy around men.”

Cher, whose exes include Sonny Bono, Gene Simmons, and Val Kilmer, also explained her tendency to gravitate toward men who are younger. “The reason I go out with young men is because men my age or older — well, now they’re all dead — but before they just never, they were always terrified to approach me and younger men were the only ones that …”

Jennifer Hudson interjected to note, “They’re bold,” while Cher replied, “Yeah, raised by women like me!”

Cher and Alexander 'AE' Edwards' Relationship Timeline

Cher was initially spotted getting cozy with her now-boyfriend, Alexander “AE” Edwards, 38, in November 2022 after meeting at Paris Fashion Week the month before. In May 2023, Us Weekly confirmed that the pair had ended their relationship, but remained friendly.

However, they sparked reconciliation rumors in September 2023 when they both stepped out at Balmain’s Paris Fashion Week presentation. After rekindling, a source told Us that the twosome are in a good place.

“Cher and AE have been back together for a while now and they’re closer than ever,” the insider said in October 2023. “All their friends think they are adorable together and they have amazing chemistry.”

The couple have also leaned into their shared passion for music. “AE and Cher have been working on music together, and AE even helped produce her latest Christmas album [Christmas],” the source told Us. “Everybody knows Cher is a music legend, but AE’s been trying to introduce her to a new sound with a little bit of New Age influence.”

Cher Through the Years: From Sonny’s Sidekick to Goddess of Pop

The insider noted that they have a “mutual respect” and their creative process is “going great.”

While Cher and the music executive see eye to eye when it comes to music, they can sometimes have conversations where they’re not aligned.

“Sometimes I’m talking to him and he has no idea who I’m talking about,” Cher told Extra in October 2023. “The other day, I said, ‘Do you know who, I don’t know, Clark Gable [is]?’ Somebody [else] said, ‘Yes, of course,’ but most of my references … He’ll look at me and go, ‘I wasn’t born yet.’”