Richard Avedon’s glamorous photograph of a newly-divorced Cher makes us believe in life after love.

When Time Magazine featured the Goddess of Pop on its cover in 1975, Cher had already separated from her controlling husband Sonny Bono and was waiting for the divorce to finalize. The couple, responsible for hits like “I Got You Babe,” split when Cher realized she needed to be her own person. Cher left the popular Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour to start her own variety show (though she returned in 1976 much to everyone’s disbelief). The release of Cher’s sixth episode coincided with the release of Cher's photograph on the cover of Time.

Cher had previously worked with photographer Richard Avedon for a Vogue photoshoot in the late 60s. He stated to Cher, “Sweetheart, you’re never going to be on the cover because you’re not the ‘look.’” Less than five years later Avedon photographed Cher again for the cover of Vogue. Cher admired Avedon and his work so much she had him do the cover of her album Dark Lady and began Cher’s tradition of using famous photographers for her album covers. She later claimed Avedon’s photographs best captured her essence.

By the time he photographed her for Time Magazine, Avedon was already familiar with Cher and her daring outfits. Designed by Bob Mackie and worn at the Met Gala the previous year, Cher’s dress was sheer, tight-fitting, beaded, feathered, and left nothing to the imagination, not even her nipples! The naked dress wasn’t exactly a new trend--celebrities like Marilyn Monroe and Mae West had worn similar outfits decades earlier. What made this picture particularly scandalous was 1) Cher was considered a family-friendly celebrity, and 2) the cover of Time Magazine was reserved for major political and social leaders, not celebrities.

The photo was well-received by hormone-crazy boys but not so much by the rest of the public. It turned the awkward, goofy Cher into a sex symbol. Officials in Tampa, Florida ruled the photograph as pornographic and even ordered area newsstands to remove the issue from its shelves.

Cher, on the other hand, adored the photograph. She used it as a backdrop for a performance and considers the dress one of her favorite Bob Mackie creations. Nearly half a century later, the photograph is now considered one of the most iconic magazine covers of all time and has obviously inspired the Kim Kardashians and Kylie Jenners of the world. Since 1975, the Goddess of Pop has been thriving, demonstrating to everyone that without Sonny, or any man, she is strong enough.