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."
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.
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.
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.
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.
