Cher has been accused of hiring four men to kidnap her son Elijah Blue Allman from a hotel room in New York last year.
Allman, 47, was staying in the hotel room with his estranged wife, Marieangela King, whom he married in 2013.
They were reportedly on a New York trip together in an attempt to save their marriage after Allman filed for divorce in 2021.
The kidnapping allegation was revealed as part of the recently released court documents that were filed as part of their divorce proceedings in Los Angeles Superior Court.
In a signed court declaration from December 5, 2022, King claimed that on the night of their wedding anniversary on November 30, 2022:
"Four people came to our hotel room and removed [Mr Allman] from our room."
She continued to allege:
"I was told by one of the four men who took him that they were hired by [Mr Allman's] mother."
Cher accused of hiring men to kidnap her son https://t.co/MD1hciD4Gs— BBC News (World) (@BBC News (World)) 1695903879
According to the court documents, King said her husband had been receiving treatment at a medical facility since August 2022.
She stated:
"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 added that in his "absence," she was "asked to leave [their] family home" by the "If I Could Turn Back Time" singer.
She further alleged that she "did so on the belief that my support payments would be timely," and that she was unable to retrieve her personal belongings from their home.
Said King:
"I was not allowed to retrieve all my belongings from our primary home and residence, nor was I given the opportunity to inventory our assets."
She then stated that she and Allman spent 12 days in New York "alone together" in November "working on [their] marriage" and that:
"Given the proper time, I believe that we will reconcile."
That was when she mentioned that four men "removed" her husband from their hotel room on the night of their wedding anniversary on his mother's orders.
Without much to go on, the internet had thoughts.
@PopBase WTF \ud83d\udc80\ud83d\udc80\ud83d\udc80\ud83d\udc80\ud83d\udc80— KNIGHT ROHIT (@KNIGHT ROHIT) 1695826843
@PopBase This is SOOOOOO!!!!!— M A J E S T Y (@M A J E S T Y) 1695827015
@PopBase that is quite a sensational claim.— Binod (@Binod) 1695829941
@PopBase Fanfics writers taking notes— Aalsi ladki (@Aalsi ladki) 1695828013
@PopCrave Oh dear that's a spicy accusation! I hope all is well \ud83d\ude33— \ud83d\udc80 FreshChef \ud83d\udc80 (@\ud83d\udc80 FreshChef \ud83d\udc80) 1695835825
@PopCrave Eiii nobody is clean at this point including herself. They should all be questioned— \ud835\udc0f\ud835\udc1e\u2727\ud835\udc1c\ud835\udc21:)\ud83e\uddf8 (@\ud835\udc0f\ud835\udc1e\u2727\ud835\udc1c\ud835\udc21:)\ud83e\uddf8) 1695835842
Some were protective of Cher and gave her the benefit of the doubt, while others used her song references in response to the wild news headline.
@PopBase we stand with cher— \u0628\u064e\u0644\u0633\u064e\u0645 (@\u0628\u064e\u0644\u0633\u064e\u0645) 1695828691
@BBCWorld Innocent till proven guilty \ud83d\ude14— Alizeh Shah (Actress) (@Alizeh Shah (Actress)) 1695907716
@BBCWorld Were they Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves? Just like Jesse James? If only She Could turn back time I'm sure she'd act differently— Gareth Boon (@Gareth Boon) 1695906221
@BBCWorld Gypsies, tramps, thieves AND kidnappers?— Paul Williams (@Paul Williams) 1695904724
@BBCWorld If You Believe in Life After Jail\u2026— Pine Tree Flag (@Pine Tree Flag) 1695910792
@BBCWorld If I could turn back crime— denimdemon99 (@denimdemon99) 1695925738
@PopBase Mother knows best— CHEEKU \ud83e\udd8b (@CHEEKU \ud83e\udd8b) 1695827636
@PopBase She probably had a good reason! Y\u2019all won\u2019t ever make me hate Cher so— \ud83d\udcab (@\ud83d\udcab) 1695827369
King added in December's court declaration:
"I am currently unaware of my husband's well-being or whereabouts. I am very concerned and worried about him."
Allman is the son of the "Goddess of Pop" and her former second husband, the late rock musician Greg Allman.
In a 2014 interview, Allman said that he and King, also a musician, eloped and that his mother's reaction to the news was "crickets."
He noted that Cher and his wife "clashed a few times."
He said of King:
"My girl is not docile, she’s not well-behaved, she has an intimidating presence."
"I think it’s good for my mom to have a really strong and confident woman like my wife around."
He also said he was the "black sheep" of the family and that he had previously struggled with drug addiction.
@BBCWorld It was an intervention and he, apparently needed it.— Worst Case Scenario \u262e\ud83e\udd0d (@Worst Case Scenario \u262e\ud83e\udd0d) 1695905091
@BBCWorld Probably a desperate attempt to save his life.— farfar (@farfar) 1695907525
@Nisandrolopez @PopBase If he's in rehab then sounds like the mother was removing her son from a bad situation. This person may not have been a good influence, Lord knows I'd do the same.— mntikki (@mntikki) 1695829278
Allman is the half-brother of Chaz Bono, Delilah Allman, Michael Allman, Layla Allman, and Devon Allman.
The next court date pertaining to this case is scheduled for October 27 in Los Angeles.