No, she didn't cry because he was bad. Chaz Bono says his mother, pop diva/actress Cher, got emotional after his "Dancing With the Stars" performance because she was so proud of her son.
Chatting with the hosts of "The Talk" on Wednesday, Bono said of Cher, "She was so proud. She cried when she saw it. She's been so supportive, and I've been having really bad problems with my knees and ankles, and she sent somebody over to work on me last night, which was really great because I do need all the help I can get at this point."
Read more: ABC Attacked by 'DWTS' Fans Over Chaz Bono Casting
Bono also said his mom will probably attend a taping of the show later in the season, and was "shocked" by how well he did, because, "I’m just not known as the performer guy in the family."
Bono, the only child of Cher and Sonny Bono, was born a female but underwent gender-reassignment surgery last year. When ABC announced earlier this week that he would compete, some conservative "Dancing With the Stars" fans lashed out on Internet message boards.
But Bono, appearing on "The Talk" with his "DWTS" professional dance partner Lacey Schwimmer, said he thinks those viewers overreacted.
Read more: Cher Defends Chaz Bono on 'DWTS'; Calls Critics 'Bigots'
"I think kids are really smart and very open minded, and so if you just explain things to them in an open way, they’re usually very understanding about it," he said.
Bono and Schwimmer, with a combined 17 out of 30 points on Monday night's season premiere. They tied for seventh place out of 12 couples competing on the show's 13th season, suggesting they could be around for a while.
"I think the longer I stay on, the more I can help my community," Bono told "The Talk" hosts. "So I would love to win it, but really I’m going to take it one show at a time and try to do my best and hope that I can stay on as long as possible, but I’m having a great time.”
