INDIO, Calif. (AP) -- Ex-wife Cher and a struggling actor who says he is a son of the late Sonny Bono are both seeking a share of the estate of the singer turned congressman.
A judge in Indio, Calif., ruled Monday that the Washoe County, Nev., coroner must turn over a blood sample containing Bono's DNA so that Sean Machu, 35, of Marina Del Rey can prove whether he is Bono's son.Court papers filed in the Riverside County courthouse show that Cher filed a claim against Bono's $1.66 million estate last fall, alleging that her ex-husband owed her back alimony payments, the New York Daily News reported Tuesday. No amount was stipulated in the documents.
Cher's spokeswoman Liz Rosenberg didn't return a call Tuesday seeking comment.
Bono was 62 when he hit a tree and was killed while skiing in South Lake Tahoe on Jan. 5, 1998. At the time of his death, Bono represented California's 44th Congressional District.
Bono's widow and political successor, Republican Rep. Mary Bono, said in court documents that she wouldn't contest Machu's claim if he is Bono's son, the Press-Enterprise of Riverside reported Tuesday.
Machu, who already has had blood drawn for the test, said he would give up his claim if the DNA didn't match.
Machu's birth certificate of April 10, 1964, lists Mimi Georgette Machu as his mother and Salvatore Bono, a 29-year-old self-employed record producer, as his father.