Cher, 76, defends romance with Alexander Edwards, 40 years younger

Iconic singer-actor Cher is waving away naysayers expressing doubt over the 76-year-old star's romance with a music executive 40 years her junior.

She had stoked speculation on Twitter Nov. 1, writing, "One part of my life is SO AMAZING," followed by an emoji of a smiley face with heart eyes. Then a report on the celebrity-news website TMZ.com on Thursday showed photos and videos of Cher walking hand in hand with Alexander "A.E." Edwards into the Los Angeles restaurant The Nice Guy, along with their rapper friend Tyga.

After a Twitter commenter the next day wrote good-naturedly, "Someone’s got a new boyfriendddd," Cher responded, "YESSSSS." Following a slew of supportive comments, she tweeted to her fans, "LOVE DOESNT KNOW MATH, IT SEES [two heart emoji]. RINPOCHE TOLD ME 'SOME PPL [people] MEET, OTHERS 'RECOGNIZE,' " evidently referring to the late Tibetan lama and bestselling author Sogyal Rinpoche, of whom she has tweeted in years past.

Then on Sunday, the Grammy, Emmy and Academy Award winner erased all doubt by tweeting a photo of Edwards, who according to multiple outlets is 36, and writing "Alexander" with a heart emoji.

The uniformly positive responses included one commenter cautioning, "I'm not sure how I feel about this. I've been a fan for so long that I'm immediately suspicious of his intentions towards you. WE know you are fabulous and I'm sure your inner circle will continue to have your back. Want you to be happy, but not taken advantage of!!!"

"As we All Know … I WASNT BORN YESTERDAY," Cher replied. "& 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."

Born Cherilyn Sarkisian, she released 1960s hits with her husband, the late Sonny Bono, as the duo Sonny and Cher. She went on to a major solo career. After finalizing her divorce from Bono in 1975 (the two by then had been living apart for about two years), she wed rocker Gregg Allman days later. They divorced in 1979. She has adult sons Chaz Bono, who is transgender, and Elijah Allman.

An actor in addition to singer, Cher has received two Oscar nominations, winning best actress for the romantic comedy-drama "Moonstruck" (1987).

Edwards, originally from Oakland, California, has worked with Tyga's Last King Records and others, and in 2018 the music label Def Jam named him a vice president of A&R, the industry term for the Artists & Repertoire department that scouts new talent and oversees talent development. He has a 3-year-old son with model Amber Rose.