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Cher accused of hiring four men to kidnap son, court documents show

Allegations were made by Cher’s son’s estranged wife, Marie Angela King, in divorce filings

Tom Murray
Wednesday 27 September 2023 20:48 BST
Cher remembers final visit with Tina Turner
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Cher has been accused of hiring four men to kidnap her son, Elijah Blue Allman, from a New York hotel room to prevent him from reconciling with his estranged wife, court documents show.

The shocking allegations are made in divorce papers filed by Marie Angela King, Allman’s 36-year-old estranged wife, back in December last year.

In the newly revealed filings, seen by multiple outlets, British singer King claims that she and Allman, 47, were staying together in a New York City hotel in November 2022 after Cher had requested she leave their family home.

“After spending these 12 days together in NY… four people came to our hotel room and removed [Allman] from our room,” King wrote in a declaration signed 4 December 2022, adding that she was “told by one of the four men who took him that they were hired by [Allman’s] mother.”

“I am currently unaware of my husband’s wellbeing or whereabouts,” King said. “I am very concerned and worried about him.

“Since August 2022, I have been told that I am not allowed to see or speak to [Allman] who is currently in lockdown at a treatment facility that is undisclosed to me. I am also told [Allman] has no access to his phone.”

King’s declaration ends with the plea: “I understand his family’s efforts to make sure he is well, and I want what is best for my husband.”

Actress-singer Cher (right) and son Elijah Blue in 2001
Actress-singer Cher (right) and son Elijah Blue in 2001 (Getty Images)

Cher’s representatives did not immediately respond to The Independent’s request for comment.

Cher has two sons, Chaz Bono, 54, whom she shared with her late ex-husband Sonny Bono and Allman, whom she shares with ex-husband Gregg Allman.

In 2014, Allman admitted to taking drugs from the age of 11 and revealed he had battled heroin addiction for years, but claimed that he has been sober since 2008.

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“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 told Entertainment Tonight. “[Heroin] kind of saved me … If I didn’t have that at that point, I don’t know what I would have done …You may jump off a bridge. If you can only just go through that time period and live through it and then get help.”

Allman married King in 2013. The couple broke up in 2020 and Allman filed for divorce the following year.

In the past, Allman has dated Bijou Phillips, Heather Graham, Kate Hudson and Paris Hilton.

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