Cher’s petition to be appointed sole conservator of her son Elijah Blue Allman is “deeply disturbing”, his estranged wife has claimed.
The Moonstruck actor, 77, filed for a conservatorship of Allman, 47, last December, claiming he is “substantially unable to manage his financial resources” amid substance abuse and mental health struggles.
In the US, a conservatorship is a legal arrangement that involves appointing a guardian or protector to manage the personal and financial affairs of someone who cannot make these decisions due to illness or injury.
According to court documents filed by the singer, and obtained by People, Cher claimed his wife Marieangela King , 36, cannot be made Allman’s conservator because “their tumultuous relationship has been marked by a cycle of drug addiction and mental health crises”.
A representative for King, who married Allman in 2013, told The Independent that she has never suffered from any form of substance abuse or mental health issues “nor has she ever enabled Mr Allman’s substance use”.
They added that King, who is the frontwoman of a British pop band of the same name, has “historically been excluded from the decision-making process when it comes to her husband’s treatment” and that her rights as Allman’s lawful wife “have been largely usurped by others involved in his so-called medical care”.
King’s representative added that the singer “wholly rejects any inference that she is capable of caring for her husband or making sound medical and/or financial decisions” on Allman’s behalf.
Cher with her son Elijah Blue Allman— (Getty Images)
They alleged that Cher’s “deeply disturbing” conservatorship petition is full of “inconsistencies, selective omissions, and materially false statements”.
“I have always been a champion for the sober community and for Elijah’s sobriety,” a statement from King read. “I have full confidence in legitimate, ethically operated, HIPAA -tected American medical establishments that offer long standing, time-tested treatment for those suffering from substance abuse or any number of mental health issues.
“What I am not ok with are establishments that exclude me (his wife) from being part of Elijah’s treatment and hopeful recovery.”
The Independent has contacted Cher’s representatives for comment.
She alleged that Allman, who has previously spoken about his struggles with substance abuse, was “coerced under false pretences on or about 17 October 2023 into participating in an alternative medicine regimen” and checked into a “lockdown facility in Mexico…under an imposed Mexican conservatorship”.
King’s representative added that she is currently involved in Allman’s medical care, as a court hearing for a temporary conservatorship order is set for 5 January.
Britney Spears was the subject of a high profile conservatorship involving her father— (AP)
Allman filed for divorce from King in November 2021, after eight years of marriage.
In a divorce court filing from 5 December 2022, which emerged last September, King sensationally accused Cher of hiring four men to kidnap Allman from a hotel in New York in a bid to stop them from reconciling.
Cher dismissed these claims as a rumour in a statement to The New York Post.
Cher’s petition, filed at the Los Angeles Superior Court, reportedly states that she is concerned any money Allmnan receives from a trust fund set up by his late father, the musician Gregg Allman, “will be immediately spent on drugs”.
“Elijah is entitled to regular distributions from the Trust, but given his ongoing mental health and substance abuse issues, [Cher] is concerned that any funds distributed to Elijah will be immediately spent on drugs, leaving Elijah with no assets to provide for himself and putting Elijah’s life at risk,” the filing reportedly reads.
Cher’s application to be Allman’s conservator reportedly states that, while she has “worked tirelessly to get Elijah into treatment and get him the help he needs”, she has been unable to discuss her son’s preferences concerning the appointment of a temporary conservator due to his mental and physical health issues.
The hearing on a permanent order to appoint Allman’s conservator has been scheduled for 6 March.
