Singer Cher is standing up for her new romance with music producer Alexander Edwards, who is 40 years younger.
Cher, 76, was spotted holding hands with Edwards, 36, in Los Angeles earlier in November, sparking dating rumours.
In a now-deleted tweet which was captured by celebrity news portal The Shade Room, she wrote: “Love doesn’t know math, it sees (two heart emojis).”
Quoting the late Tibetan Buddhist teacher Sogyal Rinpoche, she added: “Rinpoche told me, ‘Some people meet, others recognise.’”
The iconic American singer, of hits such as Believe (1998) and If I Could Turn Back Time (1989), later tweeted a photo of Edwards, an American rapper-producer also known as AE.
She shared that they had met in September during Paris Fashion Week and that he treats her like a queen.
However, her millions of followers on Twitter and Instagram have been split on her new man. While some congratulated her and wished her well, others were doubtful of the huge age difference.
There were also many who voiced their misgivings about Edwards, who split from model Amber Rose in 2021 and later admitted to cheating on her. The former couple have a three-year-old son, Slash.
Cher was married to American singer-actor-politician Sonny Bono from 1964 to 1975 and to American musician Gregg Allman from the Allman Brothers Band from 1975 to 1979.
She famously dated several men who were decades her junior in the 1980s, including actors Val Kilmer and Tom Cruise.
Cher addressed the commenters on Twitter, writing: “As we all know... I wasn’t born yesterday. What I know for sure, there are no guarantees.
“Anytime you make a choice, you take a chance. I’ve always taken chances... it’s who I am.”
In a follow-up tweet, she said: “I’m not defending us. Haters are gonna hate. Doesn’t matter that we’re happy and not bothering anyone.” – The Straits Times/Asia News Network