Cher denies kidnapping allegation by son's estranged wife: 'I'm a mother. This is my job'

Cher is setting the record straight on recent speculation she planned the abduction of her son.

The pop icon, who was accused of orchestrating a kidnapping plot involving son Elijah Blue Allman, addressed the rumor in an interview with People magazine published Wednesday.

While Cher declined to go into detail about the abduction allegation, which stems from a claim made by Allman's estranged wife Marieangela King in a court filing last year, the "Believe" singer said the rumor is "not true."

In a December 2022 declaration filed in the couple's divorce, King alleged Cher arranged for Allman to be removed from their New York hotel room on the night of their wedding anniversary in November of that year, according to court documents obtained by USA TODAY. Allman had petitioned for a dissolution of their marriage in the Los Angeles County Superior Court of California in November 2021.

"I am currently unaware of my husband's well-being or whereabouts. I am very concerned and worried about him," King claimed in the December filing. "I was told by one of the four men who took him that they were hired by (Allman’s) mother."

King and Allman, son of Cher and musician Gregg Allman, married in December 2013. Despite Allman's filing for divorce, King claimed the couple was working toward a reconciliation during their 12-day trip to New York in November 2022.

King added that in the months leading up to the alleged kidnapping, she was told not to have contact with Allman while he was in "lockdown at a treatment facility." The nature of Allman's treatment was not shared in King's filing. Allman has previously opened up about his battle with substance abuse.

Cher told People the family matter she's dealing with is related to Allman's longtime addiction issues.

"I’m not suffering from any problem that millions of people in the United States aren’t," Cher said. "I’m a mother. This is my job — one way or another, to try to help my children. You do anything for your children.”

The singer added that this unconditional support is "what being a mother is."

"It’s joy, even with heartache," Cher said. "Mostly, when you think of your children, you just smile and you love them, and you try to be there for them."

Background: Cher accused of hiring four men to kidnap son Elijah Blue Allman, his estranged wife claims

'Can we say Merry Chermas now?': Cher reveals cover of first-ever Christmas album

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cher denies kidnapping allegation by son's estranged wife