Cher Drops Uncensored F-Bomb on Live 'Today' Show Broadcast Leaving Hoda Kotb Stunned
During an appearance on the 'TODAY' show on Tuesday, November 19, Cher gave viewers an unforgettable moment when she accidentally let an expletive slip during a live interview.
Speaking with Hoda Kotb to promote her memoir, 'Cher, The Memoir: Part One,' the 78-year-old music icon left the studio buzzing and the host scrambling to recover.
Read more: Hoda Kotb's 'Today' Show Replacement Announced Months After She Revealed 'Painful' Show's Exit
The moment arose when Kotb asked Cher about advice she once received from Lucille Ball following her 1975 divorce from Sonny Bono. Before responding, Cher warned Kotb, "I can't say it on TV," and asked whether the comment would be censored.
"We'll bleep it!" Kotb assured her.
Cher proceeded to recount her conversation with Ball, who had endured her own public breakup with Desi Arnaz. "I said, 'Lucy, I'm calling you because to my knowledge, there's never been a situation besides mine except yours.' And she said, 'F--k him. You're the one with the talent!' "
When told the word wasn't bleeped, Cher turned to Kotb and quipped, "Well, you said I could!" Kotb laughed it off, adding, "I should have bleeped it myself! Bleep!"
"Oh!" Kotb exclaimed, laughing at the incident. "OK... we didn't have the seven-second [delay]! But we will get for the next feed!"
Aside from the slip-up, Cher shared numerous insights about her life and career, as detailed in her new book, 'Cher: The Memoir, Part 1.' She opened up about mistakes made in public during her early days with Bono. "I used to care," she admitted when Kotb asked how she handles public missteps. "But... I just don't think I do anymore. What are they going to do to me now? I'm 78!"
Cher also reflected on her turbulent marriage to Bono, describing how he controlled their finances and left her with little when they divorced. "He took it all," she said. "We had a company I didn't even know about... and I was signing everything like in 'Born Yesterday.' I had no idea what I was signing."
Cher's new memoir, released that same day, offers a deep dive into her remarkable life and career, from her challenging childhood to her rise as an entertainment icon.
