Cher is a legend when it comes to the entertainment world, but above that, the superstar singer and actress is a proud mother. The 'Believe' hitmaker, 77, has two grown-up sons from two different relationships and both have made names for themselves in their own right - one as a social rights activist and the other as a lead vocalist, guitarist and lyricist.
Details about Cher's family life and her relationship with both of her sons have been the subject of headlines over the years. More recently, her youngest son, Elijah Blue Allman, and Cher have both been in the press after it was reported that the Moonstruck actress had taken drastic steps to ensure the well-being of her youngest.
According to court documents obtained by TMZ, Cher filed for a conservatorship over fears for Elijah's mental state due to alleged substance abuse. The singer also cited in the report that she was concerned with how her son was handling his finances.
As the story comes to light, find out more about both of Cher's sons below…
Chaz Bono
© Araya DohenyChaz is the oldest son of Cher, and she welcomed him with her ex-husband, singer and politician Sonny Bono. Chaz was assigned female at birth and initially came out as a lesbian woman in 1995 during an interview with The Advocate. In 2008, Chaz came out as transgender and began transitioning, with a documentary film on the process, Becoming Chaz, released in 2011.
Chaz initially followed in his parents' footsteps, forming a band called Ceremony in 1988, with the group releasing their only album in 1993. Chaz wrote or co-wrote most of the band's songs, and two of his bandmates Steve March-Tormé and Pete McRae became stars in their own right. Steve is a jazz and pop musician while Pete is a rock guitarist.
© Amy GravesThe 54-year-old has become quite a vocal activist on social issues, writing for The Advocate, appearing at events for the Human Rights Campaign, campaigning against the Defence of Marriage Act, which banned recognition of same-sex marriage, and becoming the Entertainment Media Director for GLAAD.
Chaz competed on season 13 of Dancing with the Stars, finishing in seventh place. He has also written three books, Family Outing, The End of Innocence: A Memoir and Transition: Becoming Who I Was Always Meant to Be. The star is also a budding actor having appeared in American Horror Story, Where the Bears Are and The Bold and the Beautiful.
Elijah Blue Allman
© Kevin WinterElijah is Cher's youngest son, and she shares him with ex-husband Gregg Allman, who was part of The Allman Brothers. Elijah has followed in his and Cher's footsteps by becoming a musician in Deadsy, an industrial metal band.
The star began playing the guitar when he was 13 and was gifted his first one by Kiss bassist Gene Simmons, and his talent quickly shone through, even appearing as a guitarist in his famous mom's music video for If I Could Turn Back Time.
The 47-year-old has had a long battle with drug addiction, saying that he began taking drugs at the age of 11. Even though he claimed to be sober since 2008, pictures obtained by the MailOnline showed him living in the Chateau Marmont Hotel, on September 14, in Los Angeles, and reports that he collapsed on the pavement outside the hotel before being checked into a rehab facility.
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© Barry King/GettyHis estranged wife, Marieangela King, claims that four men entered their hotel room to remove him, saying that one of the men told her the singer's mother had hired them. Marieangela further said she had not been told which facility her husband had been checked into.
In December 2023, it was reported that Cher had filed for a conservatorship to try and get a hold of her son's difficulties. In the files, his severe mental health and substance abuse problems were cited as reasons for the issue, with Cher adding that they have rendered him substantially incapable of managing his own financial resources.
Elijah's father, Gregg, died in 2017 at the age of 69. Before his death, he set up a trust from which Elijah was receiving interval payments, however, it's been reported that Cher has fears her son may misuse these funds. A court hearing on this matter has been scheduled for March 6, 2024.
