Cher Has a Good Explanation for Dating Younger Men

Cher has long been known for her astute commentary on men — statements like “Men aren’t necessities, they’re luxuries” and the absolute Hall of Famer “Mom, I am a rich man.” Thankfully, she took up the subject again during a recent appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show.

Cher, who is 77, is currently dating music producer Alexander “AE” Edwards, who is 38. While she did not speak explicitly about the relationship, she did offer some insight into why she prefers to date younger men. “Men my age or older — well, now they’re all dead,” she told Hudson, adding that older men “were always terrified to approach me and younger men were the only ones that [did.]”

Cher is technically correct: The average life expectancy for men in the U.S. is 76.33 years, according to World Bank data. By my calculations, that means at least half of the dating pool her age is deceased.

Meanwhile, Cher and Edwards have been together for at least a year and a half; she first confirmed the romance in a tweet responding to a fan who asked if Edwards was her “new man” after she shared a blurry photo of him. She’s certainly not the first older celebrity to have a significantly younger partner. I guess in that way, Cher really is a rich man.