Cher files for conservatorship of son Elijah Allman due to 'severe mental health and substance abuse issues'
Cher has filed for a conservatorship over her adult son Elijah Blue Allman after she was convinced that he is not fit to manage his own finances due to his alleged struggles with drug addiction.
According to court documents obtained by People, Cher is seeking to be the sole conservator of her son's estate as there is an "urgent need" to protect Elijah’s property from loss or injury, reasoning that he is "currently unable to manage his assets due to severe mental health and substance abuse issues."
While her 47-year-old son was previously married to Marieangela King, the document claimed that she is not suitable to become his conservator because "their tumultuous relationship has been marked by a cycle of drug addiction and mental health crises."
"[Cher] loves Elijah immensely and has always acted with his best interests in mind," the document read, adding that she has been "unable to discuss his preferences concerning the appointment of a temporary conservator" because of his "current mental and physical health issues."
TMZ further reported that the 77-year-old singer is concerned that Elijah will only use the money he receives from a trust set up by his late father, legendary musician Gregg Allman, for drugs rather than basic living necessities.
A hearing for a temporary order has now been scheduled for Jan. 5, 2024, while the hearing on a permanent order is set for a March 6 date.
Back in September, Cher made headlines after she was accused of hiring four men to kidnap Elijah from a New York hotel room in late 2022 in an attempt to stop him from reconciling with his estranged wife. Marieangela made the claim in divorce documents she filed last December that recently surfaced.
Cher has since denied the accusations in a statement to People and called the rumor "not true." However, she did confirm that her son’s addiction issues played a part in the controversies surrounding her family.
"I’m a mother. This is my job—one way or another, to try to help my children. You do anything for your children. Whenever you can help them, you just do it because that’s what being a mother is. But it’s joy, even with heartache—mostly, when you think of your children, you just smile and you love them, and you try to be there for them," she said.
Elijah admitted to Entertainment Tonight that he had started taking drugs when he was just 11 years old and had battled heroin addiction for years.
"I [was] just looking to escape all the things in my past and, that's when you turn to those kind of drugs, you know heroin and opiates. [Heroin] kind of saved me … If I didn't have that at that point, I don't know what I would have done," he said.