KISS icon Gene Simmons recently joined Howie Mandel Does Stuff podcast and remembered when Cher discovered he was having an affair with Diana Ross.
Before his relationship with Shannon Tweed, Gene Simmons was dating Cher. Their relationship began around 1978 and lasted for a couple of years. What’s left of their love affair is several photographs in which they look pretty happy together. At the time they were dating, Cher and Simmons had an open relationship. It didn’t prevent them from loving each other unconditionally, but there was still something that crossed Cher’s boundaries.
During their relationship, Gene Simmons and Cher were living together. While it was all bed of roses for the two, the Demon fell in love with Cher’s then-best friend Diana Ross. Although they had an open relationship, it was inappropriate for Cher to see Simmons having an affair with her close friend. Besides, she was the one who introduced Simmons to Ross. Ultimately, the two broke up, and Simmons began dating Ross.
In a recent interview with Howie Mandel, Gene Simmons stated that both Cher and Diana Ross are amazing women and excellent mothers. Simmons then said he is still in contact with both and recalled the time he cheated on Cher. According to Simmons, he wasn’t sure what to get Cher for Christmas. When he asked her what she wanted, Cher told him to go shopping with Diana Ross when he returned to New York.
Gene Simmons then said he bought a lovely place for Cher in New York, and her designer designed it. The KISS icon recalled that he had to go back on tour with KISS when the work on the place was done. However, Cher noticed that he wasn’t staying in their house but staying with Diana Ross, who lived a few blocks away. Thinking she was cheated on, Cher then asked Simmons what was happening, marking the beginning of the love triangle.
Speaking about Cher and Diana Ross, Gene Simmons said the following:
“Both are amazing women; there’s not a bad thing you can say about them. Wonderful mothers.”
Howie Mandel then asked:
“Do you still talk to them?”
Simmons responded:
“Sure. It was Christmas time. What do you get Cher for Christmas? So I asked her, ‘I don’t know what to get you; you got everything.’ And I’ve got to go back to New York to rehearse; we were going back out on tour. She said, ‘My best friend Diana’s there, just call her up and tell her I told you. She should take you shopping; she knows what I like.'”
The bassist recalled how Cher found out he was with Diana Ross as follows:
“I wasn’t privy to the conversations, but soon after that, I bought a place for Cher in New York on Fifth Avenue, and she had her designer design it. It was a penthouse on top of 64th Street. It’s still a lovely place overlooking the Children’s Zoo. As a matter of fact, it was an amazing place.
The elevator comes right into the place, you know, all the accouterment. By the time it was finished, I had to go back out on tour. Then Cher noticed I didn’t stay there and that I was staying a few blocks away with Diane at her place. So, she said, ‘What’s going on?'”
You can watch the interview below.
