Cher has been denied a temporary conservatorship over her son, Elijah Blue Allman, for the second time by the Los Angeles Superior Court.
On Monday (January 29), Cher’s and Blue Allman’s attorneys gathered at the Los Angeles Superior Court for a hearing over Cher’s previous request for an “emergency conservatorship” over Blue Allman. It follows a hearing from January 5, during which the judge delayed her ruling as Allman’s attorneys did not have enough time to prepare their case.
Cher attended Monday’s hearing remotely, but did not participate in the arguments, while Blue Allman, his attorneys and Cher’s attorneys were physically present.
During the proceedings, according to Associated Press, Cher’s lawyers argued that Allman had been getting support from people “who tell him what he wants to hear and downplay the size of his problems,” adding that Allman’s sobriety and mental health progress were “illusory”. Lawyer Gabrielle Vidal added – per Rolling Stone – that beyond his addiction struggles, he also “suffers from schizoaffective disorder that leads to periods of psychosis”, for which he is no longer receiving treatment from doctors.
As a result, Cher has been concerned that Allman was “too vulnerable” to receive an upcoming payment from a trust established by his father – the late Allman Brothers Band vocalist Gregg Allman – believing he might squander the money fueling his own substance abuse. “We feel an urgency persists because he’s surrounded by people who deny the mental illness component, and the concern is that if he gets this distribution into his hands, and during a period of stress, that that will lead to drug use,” said Vidal.
They also stated that Cher was not looking to directly control Allman’s finances, but would accept a court-appointed fiduciary to manage them.
On the other hand, Allman’s lawyers argued that Allman had been attending sobriety meetings, getting treatment and reconciling with his estranged wife. Before the first hearing on January 5, Allman argued in a court filing that he had been sober for three months, was attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and was under the supervision of a doctor.
“While I understand that my mother, the proposed conservator, believes she is looking out for my best interests and I appreciate her love and support, I do not need her unsolicited help or support at this time,” he stated then.
While Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Jessica A. Uzcategui acknowledged Cher’s concerns during Monday’s hearing, she remained unconvinced that Blue Allman was in need of a conservatorship, and ultimately denied Cher’s request, stating that concerns are “not sufficient evidence”
Nonetheless, Uzcategui expressed that she will consider a “larger, long-term conservatorship” at a separate hearing in March. She advised the two sides to pursue mediation in the meantime, to which Allman’s attorney Steven Brumer responded favourably, stating: “We are open to mediation. That’s always a good avenue to explore.”
Following the hearing, Brumer reiterated that Allman was in a good condition, saying: “We are thrilled that the court saw that he does not need a temporary conservatorship. He’s got a lot of support, he’s doing great.” Cher’s lawyers conversely did not respond to requests for comments on the outcome of the hearing.
In September, Elijah Blue Allman’s ex-wife Marie Angela King claimed that in November 2022, while the pair were spending time in New York celebrating their wedding anniversary, four men entered their hotel room to take Allman away, with one stating that they were hired by Cher to do so. A month later, Cher denied that she had orchestrated the kidnapping, though she admitted that the incident was related to Allman’s drug addiction problems.