A routine evening walk with a dog turned into an unexpected encounter for Sami Sheen, who discovered two strangers stranded outside her home.
The individuals claimed they had been dropped off by an Uber at the wrong location while attempting to reach a dinner party at the Malibu residence of singer and actress Cher.
The pair, who had traveled from Indiana, told Sheen they were winners of a sweepstakes prize that included an invitation to dine with the artist. Recalling the interaction, Sheen admitted her initial skepticism regarding the unlikely story. “I’m gonna be so honest, I did not believe it,” Sheen said in a TikTok video detailing the event.
After the strangers left the area, curiosity prompted Sheen to investigate the claim online. A search confirmed that Cher had indeed hosted an intimate dinner party at her Malibu, California, home on November 7, 2026. The search results further validated the guests’ account, noting that the listed details included round-trip airfare for all the guests.
The event attended by the winners is part of a series of fundraisers held by the Cher Cares Foundation. The organization funds the nonprofit Free The Wild, which was co-founded by Cher alongside Mark and Gina Nelthorpe-Cowne. The charity’s mission focuses on ending the suffering of captive wildlife and facilitating their relocation to better-equipped sanctuaries or zoos.
The competition, which was hosted on the Charity Buzz website, offered two methods of entry: participating in a sweepstakes or winning an auction. While participants had the option to donate during the entry process, the platform clarified that donations did not affect an individual’s chances of winning the prize.
Following the confirmation of the guests’ story, Sheen reflected on the incident, noting that it served as a personal lesson on the importance of trusting others. Sheen said she hoped the pair successfully reached the event and that they might share the story of their chance meeting with the host.
The event remains one of several efforts by the foundation to raise funds for its wildlife conservation goals.
