Cher and Meryl Streep Saved a Woman From a Violent Attacker: ‘I Just Went Completely Nuts’
Longtime friends Cher and Meryl Streep are two of the entertainment industry’s most enduring icons. With a long list of credits in film and music, both women can add crime-fighter to their resumes. They explained how they helped drive an attacker away from a woman in New York.
Meryl Streep and Cher became friends on the set of ‘Silkwood’
In 1982, Cher and Streep appeared in Silkwood together. According to Cher, she wasn’t sure what to expect from Streep. She was then pleasantly surprised when Streep greeted her warmly.
“Meryl just came up, threw her arms around me and said, ‘I’m so glad you’re here,’” Cher told Closer Magazine. “She’s all communication and warmth and friendship, with a great sense of humor.”
On set, they built a friendship that has endured for years. A friend explained that they have many similarities.
“They both have wicked senses of humor, are brutally honest and are true artists,” they explained. “They understand and respect each other. There has never been a competitive actress thing between them.”
They helped a woman who was in danger
In the 1980s, Cher visited Streep’s apartment. At some point, they went to get ice cream for Streep’s daughter. In a speech at the Committee to Protect Journalists, Streep briefly explained that they saw a man attacking a woman while they were walking.
“Someone else was being abused and I just went completely nuts and went after this man,” the Daily Beast reports that she said. “Ask Cher — she was there. And the thug ran away, it was a miracle.”
In an appearance on The Late, Late Show With James Corden, Cher went into further detail. She said that when they saw the attack, both women began to scream and run at the scene. In response, the man ran at them.
“And just out of — I don’t know — we split and he ran through us,” she said. “And we went up to the girl, and all of her clothes were torn and she was clutching her bag.”
She explained that the woman was also an actor and was happy to meet Cher and Streep.
“She goes, ‘Oh my God! I was saved by Meryl Streep and Cher! I’m an actress, and I work in a café where we sing, and all my friends are going to be so jealous.’”
Cher and Meryl Streep played a mother and daughter in ‘Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again’
Years later, Cher and Streep reunited on screen in Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. Though they are only three years apart, Cher played Streep’s mother.
“It was fantastic,” Streep told Entertainment Tonight. “I came on the set the day that she sang ‘Fernando.’ That was my first day … And she just lifted the lid off the place! I mean, she steals the movie!”
The film marked the two women’s onscreen reunion, nearly 40 years after Silkwood.
“It’s great to see her [again],” Cher said.
