Happy 53rd Birthday To Chaz Bono - Looking Back At His Weight Loss And Life Journey

Mar 04, 2022

Today marks the 53rd birthday of Chaz Bono, the only child of the singing duo Sonny & Cher. Although the world first got to know Chaz as a young bright-eyed girl named Chastity when he appeared on his parents' television show, "The Sonny & Cher Show," years later Chaz stepped out of his parents' shadow and built a solid career for himself. A writer, musician and actor, Chaz has been an activist in the LGBT community ever since he first came out in 1995. 

Now a household name in showbiz, the actor has had to overcome many obstacles before he established himself in the world today. After undergoing his own health issues, he became outspoken on the topic of body image, as well as addiction, with which he struggled for a period of his life. Chaz is open and honest with the public about his past in the hope that his story might help others. 

While Chaz's early life might have revolved around his famous parents, nowadays he's busy with projects of his own and has built a name for himself in the industry. In recent years, Chaz has appeared in Hollywood shows such as "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "The Bold and the Beautiful" and multiple editions of "American Horror Story." In 2020, he also starred in a documentary about transgender lives onscreen and a mockumentary about a fake self-help guru.

What's more, Chaz has also found love in the last few years. Since 2017, Chaz has been dating actress-turned-charity-worker Shara Blue. Although the couple isn't too public with their romance, they have shared some special moments on their social media channels. One such moment was the same image in honor of Chaz's birthday last year. In honor of Chaz's birthday, let's take a look back at his life and career, which is only going up.

Chaz was born Chastity Sun Bono to the late Sonny Bono and Cher on March 4, 1969, in Los Angeles, California. His parents need no introduction as the singing duo Sonny & Cher. With how famous his parents were, Chaz struggled growing up in the spotlight, especially as he "always felt there was something different about me."

This led him to the realization at 13 that he was gay. By 1995 when Chaz was in his mid-20s, he publicly came out in an interview with The Advocate, which he said, "catapulted me into a political role that has transformed my life." Despite the fact that Cher had been a gay icon and ally of the LGBT community for a long time, Chaz revealed that his mom wasn't comfortable with the news at first but eventually she came to terms with it. 

After being an LGBT advocate for over a decade, Chaz came out once again — this time as a transgender man. He spoke with Oprah Winfrey in a 2011 interview about his journey and when he knew he didn't feel like he was born in the right body. He explained that as a young child, it was always clear that he felt like a boy. But it wasn't until puberty hit that he began to really struggle with his female body. He told Winfrey:

"You have this image of yourself and all of a sudden your body does the exact opposite of what you feel."

Chaz's transition from female to male began in mid-2008 and was confirmed in June 2009. His publicist said at the time, as reported by TV Guide:

"Chaz, after many years of consideration, has made the courageous decision to honor his true identity. He is proud of his decision and grateful for the support and respect that has already been shown by his loved ones." 

Chaz's legal transition was completed in May 2010, which is when he legally changed his name to Chaz Salvatore Bono. The actor even had the whole transition documented in a 2011 film titled "Becoming Chaz." The documentary went on to clinch the top prize for the 2012 GLAAD Media Awards as well as no less than three Primetime Emmy nominations. 

Aside from his transition journey, Chaz has also struggled with his weight over the years. He spoke about the "pressure to be underweight growing up" but after periods of struggling with being overweight in his adulthood, he wanted to make a change. Chaz undertook a weight-loss journey, which brought him to a much healthier self-image. After he had reconciled with his identity and then moved on to tackling his weight, Chaz's acting career has gone from strength to strength ever since.  

The last few years have seen Chaz appear in a number of movies and television series including the mockumentary "Reboot Camp" and episodes of two of his favorite TV shows — "American Horror Story" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm."

On top of Chaz's acting career and weight loss journey, he's also found love in the last few years. Since 2017, Chaz has been in a relationship with Shara Blue, a former actress who's now focused on charity work.

For Chaz's 52nd birthday last year, the happy couple — who have kept their relationship fairly private — both shared similar posts in honor of Chaz's special day. Blue posted a series of photos, including one in which Chaz blew out the candles on a chocolate birthday cake that said "Happy Birthday Chaz." Meanwhile, Chaz posted a photo of the same cake and wrote:

"Thanks so much for all the birthday greetings today!"

We wish Chaz a very happy birthday today and hope that his day is spent with those he loves. 

Happy birthday to Chaz Bono! Have you followed his journey and rise in Hollywood? Pass this on to those you know so they can read about Chaz's inspiring life story too!