The Grammy-winning artist alleges that Allman, 47, is “substantially unable to manage his own financial resources due to severe mental health and substance abuse issues,” as noted in court documents filed Wednesday, per TMZ.
Cher is seeking control over Allman’s assets despite the presence of his estranged wife, Marieangela King. Documents allege that King is not fit to serve as a conservator for Allman due to the couple’s “tumultuous relationship [that] has been marked by a cycle of drug addiction and mental health crises,” according to People.
Allman, the child of the “Believe” singer and famed guitarist Gregg Allman, is currently entitled to regular financial distributions from a trust set up by his father, who died in 2017. However, Cher has voiced concern that any money granted to her son in his current state may be “immediately spent on drugs, leaving Elijah with no assets to provide for himself and putting Elijah’s life at risk.”
A hearing for temporary control of Allman’s estate is scheduled for Jan. 5, and a hearing to see if Cher can become her son’s permanent conservator is scheduled for March 6.
Representatives for Cher did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment. The Times was unable to contact Allman, King or their representatives. The court documents were sealed late Wednesday afternoon, preventing review by The Times.
In September, King alleged that Cher had kidnapped her son in November 2022 from a New York hotel where he was with his wife as they celebrated their anniversary. Cher has denied the “kidnapping” characterization.
In court documents reviewed by The Times, King said that on the night of the couple’s anniversary, four men “came to our hotel room and removed [Allman] from our room.”
Allman and King wed in 2013. He filed for divorce in November 2021, but a year later, the pair spent nearly two weeks at a New York hotel in an attempt to repair their marriage, according to court documents.
In the papers, which King filed not long after the alleged kidnapping incident, she said: “I am currently unaware of my husband’s wellbeing or whereabouts. I am very concerned and worried about him. I was told by one of the four men who took him that they were hired by [Allman’s] mother,” referring to the Oscar, Grammy and Emmy winner, Cher.
The main aim of King’s court filing was to seek spousal support and other means of assistance, such as housing and healthcare, as well as to gain access to her own assets and tax documents to prepare for a possible divorce trial, King’s attorney said as part of the filing. King said in the documents that Allman owed her $25,000 in outstanding spousal support payments.