Cher seeks conservatorship over her adult son

Singer Cher has filed paperwork to obtain temporary conservatorship over her 47-year-old son,  Elijah Blue Allman, claiming he cannot look after his finances himself due to mental health and addiction issues. 

While Cher told the court in the petition the conservatorship “urgently needed,” Allman disputes Cher’s claim and said he is “well and able.”

A conservatorship is when someone is appointed to oversee someone else’s money, leaving them no financial autonomy whatsoever. This was famously the case for Britney Spears, who was under her father’s conservatorship for over a decade, as portrayed in her documentary Britney vs. Spears.

In papers filed Wednesday at the Los Angeles Superior Court, Cher asserted her son’s poor mental health and substance dependence have kept him from managing his finances and are potentially endangering his life, per the Associated Press. 

“Given his ongoing mental health and substance abuse issues,” Cher’s petition stated, expressing “concern 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.”

She also seeks to keep Allman’s finances from his wife, Marieangela King. The couple filed for divorce in 2021 but have paused the proceedings in order to work on their marriage. However, they have reportedly not seen each other in six months. 

The “tumultuous relationship has been marked by a cycle of drug addiction and mental health crises” Cher said, adding she thinks King “is not supportive of Elijah's recovery.”

Allman told AP he is “well, and able, and of sound mind and body.” He did not say if he would oppose the petition or not. 

A judge will hear the issue in January. If approved, Allman would receive scheduled payments from a trust fund under Cher’s control.