
Diane Warren was left a bit puzzled by Cher’s playful remarks about her in the new documentary Diane Warren: Relentless. In one of the clips from the film, Cher shares her thoughts about her longtime friend, calling her “nuts,” “cheap,” “unrelenting,” “optimistic,” and “sweet,” before adding, “She’s just crazy—oh my God. But she writes great songs.”
While Cher’s comments seem to be made in good fun, Diane Warren was a bit confused, particularly by Cher calling her “cheap.” Warren, when speaking to People magazine, expressed her bewilderment, saying, “I don’t know why she calls me cheap. It’s not really cheap—I was never cheap. I paid for ‘If I Could Turn Back Time.'”
Warren also shared the backstory behind the hit song If I Could Turn Back Time, revealing how difficult it was to get Cher on board with it. According to Warren, when she first pitched the song to Cher, the singer wasn’t exactly enthusiastic, saying, “I f—– hate it, I f—— hate it.” Warren was so determined to get Cher to record the song that she physically held her feet to the ground, saying, “Until you say you’re going to at least try it.” That persistence paid off, as the song became a worldwide hit and topped the charts, cementing Warren’s place in music history.