Cher knows all too well that it is never too late to find love, and that she did with her boyfriend Alexander "A.E." Edwards.
The legendary "Believe" singer, 77, found love with the music executive, 37, last year, and though they reportedly briefly broke up earlier this year – and to Cher's admitted shock – the two are now stronger than ever.
Now, giving rare insight into her love life, the Burlesque actress opened up about her surprise over finding love again, and the 'shocking' way it first happened.
Speaking with People, Cher recalled when she first met A.E., a musician and VP of A&R at Def Jam Records, at Paris Fashion Week last year.
She said the two met "for about 15 minutes," and a mutual friend subsequently gave him her number, of which Cher admitted: "It was really shocking," explaining: "Because people just don’t give out my number."
Plus, she said: "I had been telling all my friends, 'We're too old to go out with really younger men, and I will never fall in love on text,'" before admitting: "So I did what I said not to do!"
She also noted she's "not surprised" that their relationship, or rather, their 40-year age gap, sparked the headlines it did, and said: "Alexander’s got diamond teeth, tattoos, white hair, and he's way younger. He’s a beautiful man," adding: "Also, I think it's fun to be interested in somebody else's love life!"
MORE: Cher's staggering net worth revealed – and why it's set to grow very soon
MORE: Cher's 'unreal' appearance sparks huge reaction as she celebrates turning 77
Further gushing about her beau, Cher continued: "He's just so special," and noted: "I hate when people say people are special, but lots of people say I'm special, so I can say that he's special."
She went on: "No matter what happens, I love being with him. He makes me laugh, and we have fun.
"What I learned is that it's never too late. If you wrote out all the statistics, you would go, 'Well, this is doomed.' But we've been together a year, and if it was just a year, it would've been worth it. I've had the best time."
She ultimately stated: "If you have happiness, you can't think about how long it's going to last," adding: "You have to think about 'How does it feel?' and live in the moment."
Plus, not only has she gotten great love out of her relationship, but great music too! For Cher's new Christmas album – titled Christmas, out on October 10 – A.E. produced the track "Drop Top Sleigh Ride," and she said: "I let him do 'Drop Top Sleigh [Ride].' That's a hard thing to do when you are in love with someone and then you say, 'OK, here, take this record and do what you want with it.' But I had faith. And I was so thrilled."
Get the lowdown on the biggest, hottest celebrity news, features and profiles coming out of the U.S. Sign up to our HELLO! Hollywood newsletterand get them delivered straight to your inbox.