Former DWTS Judge Mourns Loss of Iconic Singer & Friend

Heavy Former DWTS judge Cher opens up about Tina Turner after her death.

A former “Dancing with the Stars” judge has opened up about the dear relationship she had with a fellow iconic musician, and fans will not want to miss what she had to share. Cher, who has been a guest judge on “DWTS,” chatted with MSNBC host Ari Melber about Tina Turner and her long-running friendship with her. As People noted, the two had performed together more than once over the years, having gotten to know one another another back in the ’70s.

Here’s what you need to know:

Cher Visited Tina Turner in Switzerland Before Her Death

After news of Tina Turner’s death emerged, Cher joined Melber for a segment on his show “The Beat with Ari Melber.” Cher explained she had spent time with Turner at her home in Switzerland shortly before her death. Turner had been ill for quite some time, it has been revealed, and Cher noted that her friend was “really happy” despite her illness. “I started going to visit her because I thought, ‘I need to put this time into our friendship, so she knows we haven’t forgotten her,'” Cher recalled.

It seems Cher was one of many long-time friends and colleagues who spent time in Switzerland turning Turner’s final days or weeks. While Turner told Cher she could not spend much time with her during that visit, that was not how their time together played out that day. “Then five hours later we were laughing like crazy… She was having a good time in spite of the fact that she was really sick and not wanting people to know about it,” Cher detailed. The former “Dancing with the Stars” judge added that Turner remained “so strong” toward the end, and at one point during her long illness, she told Cher, “I’m really ready. I just don’t want to put up with this anymore.”

Turner Gave Cher ‘Lots of Strength’

Cher told Melber that the two iconic singers provided one another with a lot of support over the years. “She gave me lots of strength sometimes, and I gave her strength too.” The former “Dancing with the Stars” judge noted Turner was “such a force” who “just hit everything head-on.” She added that Turner “wasn’t about to stop. She might not have won every battle, but she fought every war. She was there fighting for all the things she believed in.”

Early on in the friendship between the two women, Turner was still married to her ex-husband, Ike Turner. After the tumultuous marriage ended, Cher recalled, Turner “was so free,” and Cher was “so thrilled.” She added, “that was very strange to see her with Ike and then to see her afterward… You could just see her being able to take a big breath. Her new life was like a big, fresh breath.” The last time Cher visited Turner, she left with an incredible gift from her friend. “She gave me a pair of shoes the last time I saw her,” Cher noted. She followed up by adding, “What kind of shoes? Tina Turner shoes! The big high heels that she just [walked] around in like they were nothing.”