Christina Aguilera Latina Magazine June/July 2010: “Cher And I Are Like Old Friends”

Burlesque star Christina Aguilera — who is prepping her fifth studio album Bionic for release next month — is addressing rumors of rivalry with co-star and showbiz icon Cher, her new LP, and her estranged father with the June/July edition of Latina Magazine.

Christina On Cher Feud Rumors: “I was laughing so much when I heard that because Cher and I were like old girlfriends. I actually find that people who have been in the business the longest, they’re just the coolest because they don’t have anything to prove. So, they can leave their egos and the stupidity behind.”

On Growing Up In The Business: “As a young female growing up in this business, your bite has to kind of be bigger than your bark. Sometimes you have to speak a little louder, push a little harder, and I definitely did that when the going got tough, but there were moments when I got taken advantage of because I trusted the wrong people. My instincts got a lot sharper over the years, so I’m thankful for that.”

On Her Husband Of Five Years, Producer Jordan Bratman: “Jordy was the calm in the storm when everybody else was driving me crazy. I had a lot of older people around me who were conniving – and these people do that so you cling to them. He was the person who reached down, pulled me out and made me see reason. I’m very lucky to have him.”

On Her Estranged Father, Fausto: “It’s (relationship) pretty nonexistent. I’m in a place in my life where I just don’t see a reason for it. There’s always room for forgiveness – and I do forgive – but you grow up and make choices for your family.”

Fausto brutally battered Christina and her mother and sister for years before they finally fled when Christina was just 4. The “Beautiful” singer briefly reconciled with the Ecuador-born Army sergeant last year, but realized there were too many bad memories to have him become a fixture in her life.