Judge denies Cher temporary conservatorship she's seeking over son, but the issue isn't dead yet

A judge on Monday rejected Cher's request that her adult son be put into a court conservatorship controlling his money.

The Oscar- and Grammy-winning singer and actor had argued in a petition that 47-year-old Elijah Blue Allman's large payments from the trust of his late father, rocker Gregg Allman, are putting him in danger because of his struggles with mental health and substance abuse.

But Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Jessica A. Uzcategui was not convinced that a conservatorship was urgently needed and declined the petition, though she will still consider a larger, long-term conservatorship at a hearing in March.

Cher, 77, observed the hearing remotely. She appeared on a large screen in the courtroom throughout, but did not take part in the arguments.

Elijah Blue Allman was in the courtroom with his attorneys, who acknowledged his previous struggles but argued that he is in a good place now, attending meetings, getting treatment and reconciling with his previously estranged wife.

Cher's attorneys argued that the support Allman was getting was from people who tell him what he wants to hear and downplay the size of his problems. They said his current apparent sobriety and mental health were illusory. They said he suffers from bipolar disorder, has been recently homeless, and that having large amounts of money might lead to access to drugs that could endanger his life.

Allman and his attorneys have consistently argued since the petition was first filed in December that none of this is true.