Cher Ends Conservatorship Bid Over Son. How’d We Get Here?

In December 2023, news broke that Cher had filed for conservatorship over her adult son, Elijah Blue Allman. She denied previously hiring people to kidnap him, and her filing suggested that he had substance abuse issues. Nearly nine months later, she’s reportedly ended her conservatorship bid.

September 27, 2023: Newly-surfaced court documents allege that Cher hired four men to have her son, Elijah Blue Allman, abducted on the night of his 2022 wedding anniversary. His wife, Marie Angela King, signed a declaration in December of that year that claimed four men forcefully removed Allman from their shared hotel room. One said that they were hired by Allman’s mother.

According to King’s declaration (obtained by Variety), she said “I have been told that I am not allowed to see or speak to [Allman] who is currently in lockdown at a treatment facility that is undisclosed to me. I am also told [Allman] has no access to his phone.” Allman had disclosed his issues with drugs and alcohol before, saying that he first started using drugs at age 11. His father, Gregg Allman, also struggled with substance abuse during his life. Vulture has reached out for comment.

December 27, 2023: Cher is reportedly filing for conservatorship over her son, Elijah Blue Allman. According to The Blast, Cher filed court documents to become sole conservator of her son’s estate, because he is “substantially unable to manage his own financial resources.” This comes a couple months after she denied allegations that she had hired people to kidnap her son, telling People in October, “That rumor is not true,” and adding that the matter was related to her son’s substance abuse issues. That seems to be in line with the conservatorship filing, which says Cher “is concerned that any funds distributed to Elijah will immediately be spent on drugs, leaving Elijah with no assets to provide for himself and putting Elijah’s life at risk.”

September 13, 2024: Cher is no longer seeking to become a conservator over her son, Elijah Blue Allman. According to Rolling Stone, a lawyer for Cher said at a September 13 hearing that the singer has reached a private agreement with Allman. “I’m pleased to report that following a mediation with [two private judges], the parties have privately resolved this matter, and petitioner now wishes to end these legal proceedings,” lawyer Gabrielle Vidal told the court.

Cher’s initial filing for conservatorship in December 2023 was followed by two requests for immediate temporary conservatorship the next month, both of which were denied. (Per People, a judge ruled that Allman had stayed drug free after submitting “several drug tests,” and had proven that he had “managed his finances.”) Allman and Cher reportedly later attended a private mediation in May and reached a temporary agreement to pause legal proceedings. Now, Cher is officially dropping her bid for conservatorship — although Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Jessica Uzcategui dismissed the singer’s petition without prejudice, which means she could potentially file it again.

“This outcome allows the parties to focus on healing and rebuilding their family bond, a process that began during mediation and continues today,” Cage & Miles, the law firm representing Allman, said in a statement issued after the ruling.

This post has been updated throughout.