Cher recalls her final visit with Tina Turner

Cher and the late Tina Turner were among the two powerhouse female stars of their time over the last seven decades, dating back to the 1960s.

And along the way the multi-talented singers and actresses developed an enduring friendship that began when Turner was in the midst of her abusive marriage to ex-husband Ike Turner (1962-1978).

After learning of her persistent illnesses over the course of the last few years, many of which were very serious, Cher made a point of visiting her in her adopted hometown of Küsnacht, Switzerland, which is near Zurich.

‘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,”‘ she said, as reported by Page Six. 

While she and other friends did their best to be consistent with their visits to see the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll, it was during their last time together that the ‘Simply The Best’ star sent Cher home with a memorable gift.

Opening up: Cher, 77, revealed the last gift Tina Turner gave to her on her last visit to her home in Switzerland before her death on May 24 at the age of 83

Being the fashionistas that they were during the heights of their careers, it makes perfect sense why she gave this particular gift that she did in their waning last moments together.

‘She gave me a pair of shoes the last time I saw her,’ Cher, 77, revealed during her interview on MSNBC’s The Beat With Ari Melber, soon after her passing on May 24, at the age of 83.

‘What kind of shoes?’ she was asked, which promoted a quick response. ‘Tina Turner shoes!” Cher said while laughing. ‘The big high heels that she just [walked] around in like they were nothing.’

The If I Could Turn Back Time star would go on to reveal that she and other friends took turns spending time with Turner, revealing how she thinks those visits ‘made her happy.’

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Overall, she described the visits as happy ones full of conversations and laughter. 

In a true show of strength, Turner was able to have a good time with her friends despite being really sick. 

But ultimately, towards the end, she would confess to Cher: ‘I’m really ready,’ in a reference to being at peace with her impending death. ‘”I just don’t want to put up with this anymore.”‘

Initially, the What’s Love Got To DovWith It star didn’t appear to be too open to visitors as her health continued to seemingly get worse. 

‘She gave me a pair of shoes the last time I saw her,’ Cher revealed during her interview on MSNBC’s The Beat With Ari Melber soon after her passing; the star is seen in April 2023

Last gift: ‘What kind of shoes?’ Cher was asked, which promoted a quick response. ‘Tina Turner shoes!” Cher said while laughing. ‘The big high heels that she just [walked] around in like they were nothing’; they are pictured together in 1990

Gal palsr: Cher says she and Turner shared many laughs during the last visits she had with her longtime friend following her series of serious health issues; they are seen in April 1999

‘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 explained.

In her final days, Turner had a dialysis machine by her side, which is used to cleanse the blood due to the failing health of her kidneys.

The iconic singer suffered kidney failure due to longtime untreated high blood pressure, dating back to the late 1970s. 

Ultimately she would have a kidney transplant, suffer a stroke in 2013, resulting in her having to learn how to learn to walk again, and be diagnosed with intestinal cancer in 2016, among other serious health concerns.

At the time of her passing, Turner had been married to husband Erwin Bach for nearly 10 years.