Cher’s Family Drama Over the Years: Alleged Kidnapping, More

Cher, known for her illustrious career, has also faced personal turmoil over the years.

The Grammy-winning artist left high school in 1962 to pursue music, eventually meeting Sonny Bono. Their romance blossomed into both personal and professional success, leading to marriage in 1964 and the birth of their son, Chaz Bono, in 1969. Their marriage ended in 1975 amid allegations of infidelity.

Following her split from Sonny, Cher married Gregg Allman in June 1975. They welcomed their son, Elijah Blue Allman, a year later. However, they divorced in 1979 due to Gregg’s struggles with substance abuse. (Gregg passed away from liver cancer in 2017.)

Cher reflected on the challenges of being with a partner who struggled with drug use in a 2018 interview with the Daily Mail. “It was really intense, but it’s hard to have a marriage with someone who’s doing drugs,” she said. “Drugs and I were just never meant to be together. I thought it was stupid and still do. I saw too many people where it ruined their lives. It ruined Gregory’s life.”

Continue reading to explore more about Cher’s family issues:

Cher’s Divorce With Sonny Bono

The couple parted ways in 1975, a split that Cher has openly discussed. (Sonny died in 1998 from a skiing accident at the age of 62.)

In a 2010 interview with Parade, Cher revealed, “One woman, or even five, was not enough for him. I found all this out afterward. I asked him, ‘How did you manage the logistics?’ I was trusting and faithful with him. I’m not sure we should’ve ever been husband and wife.”

After their divorce, Cher faced financial struggles and had to rebuild her career.

“I thought I’d never climb out of that hole,” she shared with USA Today in 2013. “I had no money, and I had to pay him $2 million. It took a long time. I worked my way into a spot in Las Vegas playing two shows a night. My managers were making more money than I was. I pride myself on still being here. A lot of people were gigantic, and then they were gone.”

Son Elijah Allman’s Drug Addiction

Elijah has been open about his struggles with drug use, which began when he was just 11 years old.

He recounted to Entertainment Tonight in 2014, “I started with drugs around the same time that we all did, around 11. I mean, it’s just what you did, it’s just what everybody did. I [was] just looking to escape all the things in my past, and that’s when you turn to those kind of drugs, you know, heroin and opiates.” He has been sober since 2008.

In October 2023, Cher spoke about her son’s ongoing battle with addiction.

“I’m not suffering from any problem that millions of people in the United States aren’t,” she told People. “I’m a mother. This is my job — one way or another, to try to help my children. You do anything for your children. Whenever you can help them, you just do it because that’s what being a mother is. But it’s joy, even with heartache — mostly, when you think of your children, you just smile and you love them, and you try to be there for them.”

Cher Accused of Kidnapping Son Elijah

In documents filed in September 2023, Cher’s daughter-in-law, Marieangela King, accused her of kidnapping Elijah, who was 47 at the time.

According to Us Weekly, King alleged that in November 2022, four individuals forcibly took Elijah from a hotel room. She claimed she was subsequently barred from contacting him, as he was placed in an undisclosed treatment facility without a phone. In her filing from December 2022, she expressed understanding of his family’s intentions to ensure his well-being, stating, “I understand his family’s efforts to make sure he is well, and I want what is best for my husband.”

In October 2023, Us obtained new documents where King requested discovery of Elijah’s health records, alleging that Cher was interfering with his healthcare, location, and accessibility.

King also demanded the return of her car, personal items, and artwork, which she claimed were at Cher’s Malibu home, to which she no longer had access. She further alleged that Cher had taken four pieces of Michael Jackson’s artwork from her room during a 2021 concert tour.

In response to the allegations, Cher told People in October 2023 that the “rumor is not true” and offered no further comment.

Cher and Alexander ‘AE’ Edwards’ Age Gap Romance

Cher began dating Alexander ‘AE’ Edwards in November 2022. The couple briefly separated in May 2023 but reconciled by September. Despite their 40-year age difference, Cher expressed her happiness with the relationship in an October 2023 interview with Extra.

“I hate to talk about how happy I am, but no, we have a great time together,” she said. “We can talk [about] music. We can talk about everything. He’s got a great sense of humor, he’s got the cutest son in the world, ever. … We just get each other.”

Cher Reportedly Files for Conservatorship of Son Elijah

In December 2023, Cher sought conservatorship for Elijah, according to documents acquired by TMZ. She claimed that Elijah was “substantially unable to manage his own financial resources due to severe mental health and substance abuse issues.”

Cher expressed concern that Elijah might squander his inheritance from his late father’s trust on drugs, jeopardizing his life. She also argued that Elijah’s estranged wife, Marieangela King, was not suitable to be his conservator due to their turbulent relationship involving addiction and mental health issues.

In January 2024, Cher’s request for an emergency conservatorship was denied by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Jessica A. Uzcategui, who ruled that it was not urgently needed since Elijah had managed his finances, maintained an apartment, and remained drug-free after submitting multiple drug tests.

After Cher filed a subpoena in February 2024 to access Elijah’s medical records at Cedars-Sinai, Elijah filed a motion the following month to keep those records under protective order.

Documents obtained by Us reveal that Elijah filed the motion “in an effort to protect” his “physician-patient privileged and psychotherapist-patient privileged information.” The motion aimed to shield Elijah from “unwarranted annoyance, embarrassment, oppression, and undue burden and expense” that could result from public disclosure of his medical records.

Elijah and his attorneys contended that the subpoena was issued “in bad faith,” knowing the records couldn’t be produced in time, and violated his privacy rights. They claimed it was a misuse of the discovery process.

In May 2024, Cher and Elijah attended a private mediation session, as documented by Us, where they agreed to temporarily suspend the conservatorship and related legal actions.

Elijah Blue Allman Arrested Multiple Times

Elijah Blue Allman faced arrest twice in New Hampshire in early 2026. In February, he was charged with two counts of assault, criminal trespass, criminal threatening, and disorderly conduct after allegedly causing a disturbance at a prep school. He waived his arraignment and is set for trial on June 16, 2026, according to local outlet WMUR.

His second arrest in March occurred after he allegedly broke into a house in Windham, New Hampshire. The local police department confirmed to Us that he faced charges of burglary, two counts of criminal mischief, and breach of bail.

Cher Files 2nd Conservatorship Petition

In April 2026, Cher filed another petition for conservatorship over Elijah Blue Allman, as reported by Page Six. She requested that fiduciary Jason Rubin oversee her son’s finances, citing that Elijah spends money “immediately” and “almost exclusively on drugs, expensive hotels, and limousine transportation.”

Cher alleged that Elijah’s situation had worsened since her last petition in 2023, indicating that he was in a psychiatric hospital in New Hampshire for competency restoration to face criminal charges.

Cher Discovers Secret Granddaughter

Days after filing her second conservatorship petition, Elijah Blue Allman’s ex, Kayti Edwards — Julie Andrews’ step-granddaughter — revealed they had a daughter, Ever, during their brief 2010 romance.

Edwards told The Sun that Elijah was not involved in raising Ever, as he “never wanted to be a parent.” However, he reportedly informed his estranged wife, Marieangela King, about Ever, sparking family rumors. This news eventually reached Cher, who contacted Edwards last year.

Edwards claimed, “Cher got in touch with me last June and asked if it was true, so I had to confess. She said she had heard something about it from Elijah back in 2021 but didn’t know if it was just crazy talk. When she heard the news, she was speechless.”

Edwards mentioned that Cher was “still processing the news” but had begun forming a relationship with Ever, sending birthday and Christmas gifts and inviting her to visit Malibu.

“Cher really is trying. It’s an adjustment, and I’m not pushing any relationship. It has to come naturally,” Edwards added. “Elijah and his wife always said Cher didn’t want to be a grandma and to keep Ever away, so I was nervous to introduce her, but it’s been nothing but a good experience.”

Us reached out to a rep for Cher for comment at the time.