Chaz Bono’s life story reads like two distinct chapters – first as Chastity, the famous daughter of Cher and Sonny Bono, then as Chaz, the transgender man who reclaimed his identity. Born into fame in 1969, Chaz grew up on television screens but felt increasingly disconnected from the person the world saw.
The tension between public perception and private reality came to a head when 18-year-old Chastity came out as lesbian, a revelation that temporarily fractured his relationship with Cher. It would take another twenty years before Chaz found the courage to fully embrace his true identity, beginning his gender transition at age 39.
Documented in the film “Becoming Chaz,” the transformation brought more than physical changes – it allowed Chaz to finally care for a body he now recognized as his own. His subsequent weight loss and career resurgence, including barrier-breaking appearances on “Dancing with the Stars” and “American Horror Story,” have made him an accidental activist and role model for the transgender community.
