Cher's Conservatorship Bid for Son Hits New Legal Snags as He Remains Hospitalized

Cher's long-running effort to secure court-ordered financial oversight of her son, musician Elijah Blue Allman, ran into fresh complications this week, as the musician appeared at a Los Angeles courtroom hearing via video link from a locked psychiatric facility in New Hampshire.

Cher has spent years pushing for a conservatorship over her 49-year-old son, the only child she shared with the late Allman Brothers guitarist Gregg Allman, arguing that his ongoing struggles with mental illness and addiction make him incapable of safely handling the roughly $10,000 he receives monthly from his father's estate.

Her latest attempt to win emergency control was rejected back in April by Judge Jessica A. Uzcategui, who said at the time that there was no pressing need to act given that Allman was already confined following a string of arrests in New Hampshire.

During Thursday's proceedings, Allman appeared on camera from inside the hospital, dressed in a pink T-shirt with sunglasses hooked onto the collar, sitting near a bookcase. He informed the court that he intended to represent himself, a request the judge immediately rejected, explaining that he was legally obligated to retain an attorney. Because he lacked representation, she pushed the case back to September 1.

The judge told Cher's lawyer that she had concerns about whether Los Angeles County had any legal authority to handle the matter, since Allman himself disputes that California qualifies as his legal residence. Uzcategui noted that court investigators found no indication Allman plans to return to California even after his release, and that he could remain confined in New Hampshire for as long as eighteen months, likely transferring afterward to either a jail or treatment facility still within that state. Given those circumstances, she said, it seemed unlikely Allman would be back in California "for quite some time, if ever," prompting her formal jurisdictional concerns.

Gold strongly contested that reasoning, arguing that any stated preference from Allman carries little weight given his current confinement and mental state. He insisted Allman has no real ability to leave New Hampshire regardless of his wishes, and suggested his client was essentially using an artificial argument to dodge the California courts, even though his entire life, family, and history remain rooted there.

The judge ultimately ordered Gold to submit a formal legal brief addressing the jurisdiction dispute by July 16, while warning Allman that if he shows up to the next hearing still without a lawyer, the court will appoint one for him.

The case returned to the spotlight after a turbulent start to the year for Allman. Court records show he was arrested in late February at a New Hampshire prep school after allegedly posing as a prospective parent, becoming aggressive, and poking a student with his cane, leading to charges including trespassing and assault. Just two days later, he was arrested again, this time on burglary charges after a woman called police saying she'd locked herself in a closet after someone broke into her home; officers reportedly found Allman sitting on her couch smoking a cigarette near a shattered glass door.

Cher's court filings describe a recurring cycle in which Allman quickly depletes his trust payments, checking into pricey hotels, including the Chateau Marmont, before spending the money on drugs until he winds up hospitalized or worse. She alleges he's caused tens of thousands of dollars in property damage and racked up significant debt to a drug dealer.

Adding weight to her petition, Allman's brother Devon submitted a declaration describing a recent visit that left him devastated, calling his brother's condition both physically alarming and mentally distressing, and revealing he'd personally negotiated down a five-figure drug debt on Elijah's behalf.