The pop icon has filed to become temporary guardian of his son Elijah Blue Allman’s estate following Allman’s recent arrest.
Cher’s son Elijah Blue Allman arrested on assault charges
Cher’s son, Elijah Blue Allman, was arrested in connection with the incident at St. Paul’s School in Concord, New Hampshire.
Scheer is seeking conservatorship for her son, Elijah Blue Allman, nearly two months after Allman was arrested in connection with two separate incidents.
According to court documents obtained by USA TODAY on Friday, April 17, the 79-year-old pop icon has filed to be named temporary conservator of his son’s estate following his recent arrest in New Hampshire. Cher filed a bid to become 49-year-old Allman’s conservator in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Thursday.
Under California law, a conservatorship is defined as a court arrangement in which a judge appoints a responsible person or entity to care for an adult who is unable to manage themselves or their finances.
Scheer, who has appointed private trustee Jason Rubin as Allman’s conservator, is asking the court to allow Rubin to oversee her son’s finances, including taking distributions from Allman’s trust fund, managing his money in a conservatorship account and paying expenses on Allman’s behalf.
“Elijah has no concept of money, is unable to manage financial resources, and cannot tolerate fraud or undue influence,” Justin B. Gold, Cher’s attorney, said in a filing, adding that Allman is currently in a psychiatric hospital in New Hampshire as a result of his legal troubles.
“From a financial standpoint alone, Elijah spends the money he gets quickly and almost exclusively on drugs, expensive hotels, and limousine transportation,” Gold continued.
A hearing in the case is scheduled for April 24, according to the filing. USA TODAY has reached out to Cher’s representatives for comment.
Allman, the only son of Cher and the late Allman Brothers Band singer Greg Allman, was arrested twice in three days for incidents on February 27 and March 1. He was initially charged with simple assault, trespassing, criminal intimidation and disorderly conduct after an alleged trespassing incident at St. Paul’s School in New Hampshire.
Although he was later released on personal recognizance bail, Allman was rearrested on March 1 for allegedly breaking into a couple’s home in Windham, New Hampshire. He was charged with robbery, two counts of criminal mischief, and breach of bail.
Mr. Cher’s son ‘abandons’ promise of financial improvements after past conservatorship attempt
In December 2023, Cher filed for conservatorship, claiming Allman suffers from “severe mental health and substance abuse issues.” According to court documents filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, the Grammy-winning singer claimed that her son was unable to manage his financial assets due to alleged health issues.
According to Rolling Stone, Allman opposed the conservatorship in subsequent court filings, and in September 2024, Scheer declined to run for conservatorship. Nine months later, Allman was hospitalized in California with an apparent drug overdose.
According to Cher’s latest petition, Allman told the court he was going to make “lifestyle changes” and avoided his original conservatorship. He also said he plans to hire a business manager and has the support of his then-wife, Mariangela King.
“Elijah made a promise and then promptly broke it,” wrote Justin B. Gold, Cher’s attorney. He “returned to a life of disorder beyond his means, refusing to hire a manager, … attending expensive hotels he could not afford (although most hotels now refuse to sponsor him because of his rowdy behavior), and ignoring basic obligations such as taxes, spousal support, and court appearances.”
The current value of Allman’s estate totals $132,000, according to court documents. Allman, whose late father’s trust is his only source of income, is said to be thousands of dollars in debt, including a $200,000 unpaid tax bill, monthly spousal support payments to King, and an $18,000 bill from a drug dealer that Allman paid with money borrowed from a friend.
The complaint also details Allman’s recent pattern of erratic behavior, including being kicked out of 18 hotels for “erratic behavior,” exhibiting “hypersexual behavior” (including forcing a young hotel maid to have sex with him), and causing several grease fires while cooking by forgetting to leave food on the stove.
“Elijah’s situation is dire on many fronts,” Gold wrote. “His mental health has deteriorated significantly, his financial situation is at its worst, and his drug addiction is at its worst. (Mr. Scheer) is asking the court to order Mr. Rubin to be appointed temporary conservator of the estate so that Elijah’s situation can be resolved one step at a time.”
What Elijah Blue Allman said about drug addiction
Allman opened up about his history of drug abuse in a February 2014 interview with Entertainment Tonight. “I started using drugs (cannabis and ecstasy) at the same time as everyone else, around the age of 11,” he told the outlet.
“That’s when you turn to drugs of the type like heroin and opiates” to try to escape your past, Allman said. The former “saved me in a way…I don’t know what I would have done if it hadn’t happened at that time…if I could just get through that period and survive it and then get help.”
Allman said that when it came to overdosing, “there were some close calls and moments where I really felt like I was on the brink of death.”
“I’ve always kept it a little bit safe, but you can never do that. Even if you think so in your heart, of course things can go wrong,” Allman said. “When the wrong combination of things happens, you can just fall right into the abyss. I knew it was wrong, and I knew I wasn’t very happy with my life at that point.”
If you or someone you know needs help battling substance abuse addiction, please contact the following agencies: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration National Helpline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
Contributors: Taijuan Moorman, Asha C. Gilbert, Gabriela Miranda, USA TODAY
