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Cher Vacations In Italy Amid Reports That She’s Dying, Broke, & Alone

By Inquisitr Staff
Published on: 03:15 PST, Jun 24, 2016

Cher went on vacation recently in Italy amid new reports that the 70-year-old singer and actress is “dying, broke, and alone.” These accusations, which originally started circulating online at the end of last year, resurfaced after a report was published on Wednesday that allegedly says a source close to Cher confirmed that she’s “on her last legs and has lost her vast fortune.” However, new photos of Cher vacationing in Italy clearly show that the “Turn Back Time” singer is still going strong, living large, and looking well, according to ET Online.

A rumor started in December 2015 claimed Cher was dying of Epstein-Barr and unloading all of her possessions in preparation for the end. Starpulse reported that the Epstein-Barr virus was more deadly than Cher’s doctors led her to believe. Cher was diagnosed with Epstein-Barr, one of the most common forms of the herpes virus, in the late 1980s. At the time, Cher was too fatigued to work on music and film, so the “Goddess of Pop” turned to infomercials and launched health and beauty products to earn a living.

After nearly four years of being out of the entertainment spotlight thanks to Epstein-Barr, critics began to wonder if Cher’s acting and singing careers were over. Reports also said that the product launches and infomercials cost Cher nearly $10 million in fees. One report in 1994 by the Orlando Sentinel claimed that Cher didn’t want to be a businesswoman who does infomercials anymore, but she also wasn’t sure if she wanted to continue to be “Cher,” a “symbol of blazing sensuality and success.” Treatment for the virus had reportedly caused Cher to gain weight and suffer from depression.

Cher kept a fairly low profile for several years after her diagnosis, which fueled rumors that she was dying from Epstein-Barr and was broke and alone. Complications from Epstein-Barr can be deadly, but Cher was able to keep the virus under control through holistic treatments, and photos of Cher from even eight months ago that were posted on Starpulse show her looking great for her age and in great shape. But that hasn’t stopped the reports that Cher is reportedly suffering from a “health crisis” and is “fading fast.”

“Time is running out, and Cher is very aware of it. But she doesn’t want anyone to know exactly how dire her health condition is.”

New reports, though, refute the claims that Cher is alone and near her death bed with no money due to medical bills. Photos surfaced this week of Cher resting, relaxing, and having fun with friends in Marina di Pisa, a seaside resort of Tuscany in central Italy. Celeb Dirty Laundry said that if Cher were that “tapped out” and dying, then she should be somewhere secluded and private, rather than “out and about” and looking good, as the photos show. Several new photos were taken of Cher in Italy eating ice cream, hanging out with friends, and lounging on a yacht.

Cher did admit that she feared for her life at one time because her Epstein-Barr symptoms were so severe. In 2008, in an interview with USA Today, the Mermaids actress said that she was sick for a long time and couldn’t work for several years.

“When I was first diagnosed in the late ’80s, I had doctors telling me I was crazy. I was sick constantly and almost died from pneumonia. You never lose it, and it really takes the life out of you.”

Cher also said that she did clear out some of her possessions, but only before she fell ill.

“I didn’t let go of anything that really meant something. And I think it’s nice that people are taking special care of particular things they wanted. I found things or they found me, I had them for years, and now they’re on another journey.”

Even though Epstein-Barr remains in the body and can reactivate at any time, Cher has made a comeback in her music and film career. According to Cher, she wasn’t able to work for really only three years after her diagnosis. Cher returned to film in 2010 in the backstage musical Burlesque and more recently performed during her “Dressed to Kill Tour” in 2014 at the age of 68.

[Photo by Alberto E Rodriguez/Getty Images]

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