Cher has a court date coming up, and it isn’t for a concert. The pop legend was hit with a criminal citation this week after slapping a parking attendant in Manhattan. Police say the 84-year-old singer lost her temper after finding out her car had been towed.
According to officers, Cher left her vehicle in a spot reserved for deliveries for about three hours while she went shopping. When she returned, it was gone. She didn’t take it well.
Witnesses say she spotted a young attendant writing tickets across the street. Instead of heading to the tow lot, she stopped traffic, jaywalked over 4th Avenue, got in his face, and smacked him.
“Cars were slamming on the brakes,” said a delivery driver who saw it happen. “I thought she was going to get hit. Then she walks right up to this kid and slaps him across the face.”
The attendant didn’t respond. He backed away and called for officers. People nearby said he seemed stunned. “He’s just standing there holding his ticket book,” one witness said. “He had no idea who she was.”
When police arrived, they found Cher still shouting. Officers decided the elderly singer didn’t need to be arrested, but they wrote her a criminal citation and gave her a date to appear in court.
One of the officers said the conversation didn’t make much sense. “She said we work for ICE,” said Alex Bruno, an NYPD officer. “Honestly, she seems a little out of it.”
Bruno said she kept insisting that her car had been taken by immigration agents and that the city was “turning into a police state.” Officers tried to explain that it was a regular parking tow. She didn’t seem convinced.
Cher has been one of the loudest celebrity voices against immigration enforcement for years. She regularly blasts ICE on social media and has repeatedly attacked President Trump and his supporters.
Her fans were split over the news. Some said there had to be more to the story. Others said they weren’t surprised at all. “Cher has always done things her way,” one fan posted. “But you can’t go around hitting people because your car got towed.”
The union representing New York’s traffic agents said it was “outraged” by the attack. A spokesperson said agents are regularly harassed while doing their jobs and that nobody gets special treatment because they’re famous.
“He’s a young man trying to make a living,” the spokesperson said. “He deserves respect.”
Cher’s team hasn’t commented. Her car was later retrieved from the tow lot, and the fees were paid.
If convicted, she could face fines, community service, or both. Legal experts say jail time is extremely unlikely given her age and lack of a record. Her arraignment is next Thursday. If she bothers to show.
