Cher's Tough Love Turns Son Into Hare Krishna

[Guest guest]

October 7, 2003 VNN8392

 

Cher's Tough Love Turns Son Into Hare Krishna

 

FROM STAR MAGAZINE

 

USA, Oct 7 (VNN) — A teary-eyed Cher hoped her rocker son Elijah

would change his life when she gave him an ultimatum: Stop partying

or move out of her Malibu estate.

 

And did he. The troubled 26-year-old gave up all his worldly

possessions and became a Hare Krishna.

 

But, contrary to the religion's rules, Elijah's still having sex, he

confessed to friends.

 

 

What's really bizarre is that Elijah is convinced it's pure 'karma'

that he's a Hare Krishna now because his dad, Gregg Allman, bought

$200 worth of Krishna literature about 30 years ago while Gregg and

Cher were walking through an L.A. airport...

 

 

"Cher threw Elijah out in May because he couldn't stop partying and

bring home vagrants," a source reveals to STAR.

 

Cher, who was tour at the time, felt that she had no choice but to

give Elijah an ultimatum: Clean up your act or you're out.

 

But he didn't stop partying, and one night it came to a head.

 

Says a family friend, "At Malibu's Taverna Tony restaurant, Elijah

met up with a couple of girlfriends.

 

"When he got home later that night, the guards told him that he

couldn't bring his friends into Cher's house. Elijah moved out the

next morning, leaving behind everything except a tiny TV and blowup

air matress."

 

Friends say Elijah moved into a tiny, dingy one-bedroom apartment in

Culver City a few blocks away from the International Society for

Krishna Consciousness, where he eats two free meals a day and chants

constantly.

 

But Elijah, who is currently recording his second album with his

band, Deadsy, tells friends that even though he enjoys a simple life,

he still secretly indulges in sex with his 18-year-old blonde

girlfriend Jen.

 

"It's sort of like Elijah wants it all. He wants to be a Hare

Krishna, but he's not ready to give up everything -- especially sex,"

the friend adds.

 

"Cher's not thrilled with the idea that Elijah's become a Hare

Krishna, but on the other hand, she's supportive of anything that

seems to help him get his life together. In fact, Elijah calls his

mom almost every day. She's still very much involved in his daily

affairs. It wasn't an easy decision on her part. But her tough love

was also inevitable because she was sick and tired of him partying

and dragging strange friends into her home."

 

And it seems that the religious sect has been helping Elijah

straighten up. "Now, instead of only partying all the time, Elijah

prays to a picture of Krishna in his room during the day, then goes

to the temple and eats their free food," says the family friend.

 

"He feels at home there. It's a very family-oriented community and

once he advances further into their program, he'll be given

permission to wear the robes and preach their message in public."

 

Sources say Elijah is telling pals that since he moved into the Hare

Krishna community in Culver City, it's been the happiest few weeks of

his life, because he feels he's connecting with his idea of God

through Krishna and throwing himself into the study of the Bhagavad-

Gita, a 30-volume archive of the religion.

 

"What's really bizarre is that Elijah is convinced it's pure 'karma'

that he's a Hare Krishna now because his dad, Gregg Allman, bought

$200 worth of Krishna literature about 30 years ago while Gregg and

Cher were walking through an L.A. airport," says the friend.

 

"Now, the same guru who sold Gregg those books is teaching Elijah.

The kid's convinced his spiritual pursuit was divine intervention.

Elijah's very serious about this, even though he's still in the

recording studio -- and sleeping with his girlfriend. Who knows if

he'll stick with it? For now, it's working, and Cher's sort of given

her blessing."

 

© Star Magazine