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Who Is Chaz Bono? Everything to Know About the ‘American Horror Story: Cult’ Star
You should probably start paying attention to Chaz Bono. The pop music legacy is shocking viewers with his turn as Gary K. Longstreet on American Horror Story: Cult — and not just because the character is a loud-and-proud Trump supporter.
As the only offspring of iconic rock couple Cher and Sonny Bono, Chaz has been somewhat famous for nearly five decades. However, the writer and actor mostly left the spotlight to his mom, making a name for himself as an LGBT advocate and one of the first transgender stars in Hollywood.
Now that he’s making a name for himself as a thespian on AHS, it’s time to refresh ourselves on Chaz.
How old is he?
Born on March 4, 1969, Chaz — then named Chastity Sun Bono — is Sonny and Cher’s only child. He’s now 48 years old.
When did he transition?
Chaz first came out as a lesbian at age 18. In 2008, he began undergoing a physical and social transition from female to male. A year later, his publicist revealed his preferred name as Chaz Bono, and the legal gender and name change was completed in 2010. This was all documented in the 2011 documentary, Becoming Chaz, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.
Was mom Cher supportive of his transition?
In his 1998 book, Family Outing, Chaz reported that his mother, a gay icon, actually “went ballistic” when he first came out as gay. She later came to terms with it, and has since become an outspoken LGBT rights activist.
Is Chaz married?
Starting in 1998, Chaz dated private tutor Jennifer Elia, and the two got engaged in 2009. Though Jennifer supported him throughout his transition, they ultimately split in 2011 on good terms. In late 2015, he was rumored to be dating actress Sarah Schreiber when she accompanied him to the Danish Girl premiere, but it was never confirmed.
Chaz and Sarah in 2015.
Does Chaz have kids?
Chaz hasn’t been linked to anyone romantically since 2015, and he’s believed to still be single. He is also without children and hasn’t spoken of any immediate plans to grow his family.
Is Chaz new to acting?
No — in fact, this isn’t even the first time he appeared on an AHS show! The actor starred in last year’s Roanoke, playing Lot Polk/Brian Wells in five episodes of the 2016 installment. He also portrayed Reverend Rydale on The Bold and the Beautiful in 2016. As a rule, Chaz opts not to play trans characters.
Where else have fans seen him?
After transitioning, Chaz was the first transgender person to compete on Dancing with the Stars in 2011. He’s also dabbled in music, performing with the band Ceremony on their sole album, Hang Out Your Poetry, released in 1993.
