Elijah Blue Allman, Cher’s second son, was arrested on Friday night after allegedly sneaking into the dining hall of St. Paul’s, the prestigious New Hampshire boarding school. Allman was charged with misdemeanor counts of assault, trespassing, and threatening and released without bail ahead of an April arraignment in Concord District Court.
Last June, the 49-year-old was hospitalized for several days after a reported overdose in Joshua Tree, California, with police stating they found drugs in Allman’s home. Cher has previously sought conservatorship of her son, claiming in December 2023 that he was “substantially unable to manage his own financial resources due to severe mental health and substance abuse issues.” She later withdrew the application she had filed after they reached a private agreement.
Allman was born to Cher and Greg Allman of The Allman Brothers Band. His half-siblings include Chaz Bono, Cher’s son with Sonny Bono, and four Allmans: Devon, Layla, Michael, and Delilah. As a founder of the metal band Deadsy, he is also known by the stage name P. Exeter Blue, an apparent reference to another New Hampshire prep school, Phillips Exeter Academy.
In 2014, Allman said that he started using drugs at 11 years old, and his struggles with addiction have played out in the public eye. Cher has not commented on his recent arrest, but she has previously provided glimpses of her attitude toward their relationship. “I’m not suffering from any problem that millions of people in the United States aren’t,” she told People in 2023. “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.”
Allman’s ex-wife Marieangela King Allman has also previously offered public shows of support. After Allman’s hospitalization last year, she offered a statement to People, saying, “While it is true that Elijah has faced personal challenges in the past, one constant has been his unwavering commitment to sobriety and his loyalty to those he loves,” she said.
“Like many, he continues to confront his inner struggles—but it is important to recognize that he does so from a place of strength, not defeat,” she went on. “Despite the assumptions that often color how his journey is portrayed, the reality is that Elijah remains grounded, focused and deeply committed to living with integrity and purpose.”
Originally published in Vanity Fair Italia.
