Tag: Cher

  • Judge postpones decision on Cher’s conservatorship request for son, Elijah Blue Allman

    Judge postpones decision on Cher’s conservatorship request for son, Elijah Blue Allman

    In a courtroom drama unfolding on Friday, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Jessica A. Uzcategui deferred a ruling on the immediate establishment of a conservatorship for Elijah Blue Allman, son of iconic singer and actor Cher.

    The court is set to revisit the contentious issue on January 29, as attorneys representing both parties continue to spar over the necessity and urgency of the conservatorship.

    Cher, a recipient of Oscars and Grammys, filed a petition last week, seeking control over the finances of her 47-year-old son, Elijah Blue Allman. The legal move comes as Cher expressed concerns about Allman’s struggles with addiction and mental health, asserting that his inability to manage his finances could potentially jeopardise his life.

    During Friday’s hearing, Judge Uzcategui determined that Cher’s legal team had failed to provide Allman and his lawyers with the requisite documents, impeding their ability to present a comprehensive case. Consequently, she postponed a decision, setting the stage for a follow-up hearing later this month.

    Cher’s attorney, Gabrielle Vidal, emphasized the urgency of the conservatorship, highlighting a pending payment from a trust established by Allman’s late father, musician Gregg Allman. Vidal argued that the immediate establishment of the conservatorship was critical, describing it as a “life-and-death proposition.” However, Uzcategui remained unconvinced.

    The judge pointed to Cher’s legal team’s reluctance to share information directly with Allman’s attorneys, citing confidentiality concerns. Cher’s lawyers defended their decision, stating that they had shared the documents with Allman’s court-appointed lawyer instead.

    In a court filing preceding the hearing, Allman acknowledged his struggles with addiction and irresponsible spending but asserted that a conservatorship was unnecessary. He revealed that he is under the care of a doctor, has been sober for over three months, attends Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, and is willing to undergo regular drug tests.

    In the filing, Allman expressed gratitude for his mother’s love and support but made it clear that he does not require her “unsolicited help or support” at this time. Allman was present in court on Friday but offered only brief responses to the judge’s inquiries. His legal team opted not to comment after the hearing.

    Cher did not attend the hearing, and her attorneys did not immediately respond to requests for comment. As the legal battle unfolds, the fate of the conservatorship hangs in the balance, with both sides set to present their cases in the coming weeks.

  • VIDEO: Cher drops trailer of documentary on Kaavan

    VIDEO: Cher drops trailer of documentary on Kaavan

    Kavaan’s journey from being the world’s “the loneliest elephant” to freedom in Cambodia has been captured on camera and will be seen in a documentary by Cher titled Cher and the Loneliest Elephant. It is scheduled to release on Paramount+ on April 22.

    According to details, Cher, through the film will be taking viewers along for “a touching journey about humans, animals, and our connection to all living beings on earth”.

    In Cher and the Loneliest Elephant, the singer travels to Pakistan to rescue Kaavan, an elephant who’s been neglected and living alone for years. The Smithsonian Channel documentary follows Cher as she teams up with animal experts and veterinarians to help transport Kaavan from a shed in Islamabad, where he’s been kept in chains for almost two decades, to a new home in Cambodia.

    “Elephants are just like we are. They’re so family-oriented and so emotional,” says Cher in the trailer.

    Talking about the film, Cher told Entertainment Weekly, “I saw all the people being affected by it all over the world. People want a happy ending. People don’t want to see animals suffer. And I know people are suffering too, but this is a story that can brighten their lives.”

    “I was frightened [to do this], but then I thought, what do you want to do more? You made a promise, and you have to go,” she continued. “I didn’t see any other way to do it. I have a saying on my Twitter, ‘Stand and be counted or sit and be nothing.’ And I wasn’t going to sit and be nothing.”

    The film also features a brand new track by the singer titled Walls to highlight Kavaan’s story.

    https://youtu.be/2NGJwe-rdPk

    Kavaan was first brought to Pakistan in 1985 as a gift from Sri Lanka when he was only a year old. Since then he was living at Marghazar Zoo in Islamabad with his partner Saheli, who died in 2012. After Saheli’s death, Kaavan became alone and was dubbed as the world’s loneliest elephant. He suffered from several health issues and was also mentally distressed. In 2016 he caught the attention of Cher, who along with other animal rights activists fought a long legal battle for his release and transfer.

    He was airlifted from Islamabad to Cambodia in a Russian cargo plane in November 2020.

  • Cher shares motivation behind freeing world’s ‘loneliest elephant’

    Cher shares motivation behind freeing world’s ‘loneliest elephant’

    American pop singer Cher opened up and revealed how she ended up campaigning for and working towards freeing the ‘world’s loneliest elephant’ Kaavan.

    In an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Cher said, “I didn’t plan to at all. These kids on my Twitter feed started sending this thing and it was ‘Free Kaavan’, and I thought if I will not answer, they’ll stop but they didn’t and it was in Pakistan and then I thought that I’m just an entertainer, how am I gonna go to Pakistan and free an elephant. “

    “We had to work through two administrations and when [PM] Imran came in, everything got much easier,” she remarked.

    Read more – Cher thanks PM Khan for ‘making her dream come true’

    She also said that she worked on the cause for three years.

    “As we started doing it, I wasn’t going to give up. So, we went to Pakistan and we saw him, he was beautiful,” said Cher. “We started meeting Pakistani people and they were so nice to me.”

    She added: “So, then he landed and we were so excited and after a five hours drive to the sanctuary and I could see him walking around, taking a dirt bath and talking to the girls.”

    Cher has proven that she is a star in the best possible way. She worked towards freeing Kaavan, who had been named ‘the world’s loneliest animal,’ after his partner Saheli passed away in 2012. Kaavan was kept in Islamabad’s Marghazar Zoo for 35 years and had been chained after zookeepers complained that he exhibited violent behaviour.

    He caught Cher’s attention in 2016, who then fought a long legal battle for his release and transfer.

    He was airlifted from Islamabad to Cambodia in a Russian cargo plane and before his departure, Cher visited Pakistan to see him off. She also sang A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes to soothe his nerves.

    Later, she also arrived in Cambodia to receive Kaavan and ensure that he settles well in his new home.

  • Kavaan no longer world’s ‘loneliest elephant’, finds new friends in Cambodia

    Kavaan no longer world’s ‘loneliest elephant’, finds new friends in Cambodia

    Islamabad Zoo’s lone elephant Kavaan arrived in Cambodia on Monday, where he was taken to his new home, a wildlife sanctuary. Cher, who had long campaigned for his release, was on the tarmac at the airport of Cambodia’s second-biggest city Siem Reap to greet Kaavan along with Buddhist monks, who performed rituals on his arrival.

    According to details, Kavaan has already made himself at home in Cambodia and can be seen making new friends and socializing with female elephants.

    “Kavaan is already socialising with neighbours: beautiful female elephants,” shared Press Officer at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia Neth Pheaktra.

    Similarly, animal rescue organisation Four Paws shared a beautiful picture of Kavaan interacting with fellow elephants in the sanctuary.

    Kavaan was first brought to Pakistan in 1985 as a gift from Sri Lanka when he was only a year old. Since then he was living at Marghazar Zoo in Islamabad with his partner Saheli, who died in 2012. After Saheli’s death, Kaavan became alone and was dubbed as the world’s loneliest elephant. In 2016 he caught the attention of Cher, who along with other animal rights activists fought a long legal battle for his release and transfer.

    He was airlifted from Islamabad to Cambodia in a Russian cargo plane.

    “Kaavan was eating, was not stressed, he was even a little bit sleeping, standing leaning at the crate wall. He behaves like a frequent flyer,” said Kavaan’s best friend vet Dr Amir Khalil, while sharing details of his flight.

    “The flight was uneventful, which is all you can ask for when you transfer an elephant,” he added.

  • Cher welcomes Kaavan as he arrives in Cambodia

    Cher welcomes Kaavan as he arrives in Cambodia

    Popularly referred to as the world’s loneliest elephant, Islamabad Zoo’s Kavaan arrived in Cambodia by cargo plane on Monday to start a new life with fellow pachyderms at a local sanctuary, the culmination of years of campaigning for his transfer by American singer Cher.

    Kaavan’s enclosure in Cambodia

    According to details, Cher was on the tarmac at the airport of Cambodia’s second-biggest city Siem Reap to greet Kaavan and was photographed in sunglasses, black face mask and white jacket meeting the vets who accompanied the elephant, who made the long journey in a custom-made crate.

    Animal rescue organisation Four Paws said Kaavan had another 90-minute drive ahead and would likely arrive at the sanctuary after nightfall, so he would be released in daylight on Tuesday.

    “Kaavan was eating, was not stressed, he was even a little bit sleeping, standing leaning at the crate wall. He behaves like a frequent flyer,” said Kavaan’s best friend vet Dr Amir Khalil.

    “The flight was uneventful, which is all you can ask for when you transfer an elephant,” he added.

    The organisation also shared a video of Kaavan “up in the air”.

    https://twitter.com/fourpawsint/status/1333356880765267969?s=20

    Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam also shared pictures of Kaavan’s arrival on social media.

    Cher, who has long campaigned for Kaavan’s release, had spent the last few days with him in Pakistan. The multi-award-winning singer has been with a film crew documenting Kaavan’s story and said she was proud to be part of an effort to free an elephant she said had been shackled to a shed for 17 years.

    Dozens of wildlife workers and experts led by Four Paws used a winch and rope to pull the sedated elephant into the crate before he was loaded onto the Russian-built cargo plane. A 10-member medical team also accompanied the 36-year-old elephant on his journey.

    Cargo plane that carried Kaavan
    https://twitter.com/IsbZooFriends/status/1332995123773403136?s=20

    Kaavan’s handlers took more than 200 kg of food including bananas and melons to keep him busy on his journey.

  • Cher thanks PM Imran Khan for his assistance in Kaavan’s relocation

    Cher thanks PM Imran Khan for his assistance in Kaavan’s relocation

    Two days before Kaavan is expected to fly to Cambodia, where he will retire in a wildlife sanctuary, US pop star Cher met Prime Minister Imran Khan and thanked him for his efforts in making this possible. The singer, who has campaigned for Kaavan’s freedom for years and is helping pay for his move, arrived in Pakistan this week to see the animal off.

    “Just came from meeting to thank PM Imran Khan for making it possible for me to take Kaavan to Cambodia,” said Cher in a tweet.

    Meanwhile, a statement from PM Khan’s office said that the prime minister appreciated Cher’s efforts in retiring Kaavan to an elephant sanctuary and thanked the singer for her campaign and role in this regard.

    Read more – Cher thanks PM Khan for ‘making her dream come true’

    According to the PM Office, Cher also appreciated PM Khan’s efforts in combating climate change and working towards a cleaner and greener Pakistan.

    “She also offered her support for furthering the green initiatives through her organisation ‘Free the Wild,’ added the PM office.

    Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam, who was also present at the meeting, also thanked the US singer for coming to Pakistan to see the elephant off.

    As per details, 36-year-old Kaavan is set to fly out of Pakistan on November 29 on a Russian cargo plane, specially chartered for his transportation.

    A team of vets and experts from Four Paws, an Austria-based animal welfare group, has spent months working with Kaavan to get him ready for the journey to Cambodia. Experts have trained Kaavan to enter a large metal crate that will be used to transport the animal to the airport.

    Kaavan was also put on a diet of fruit and vegetables and has lost half a ton (450 kilograms). Previously, Kaavan was eating 250 kilograms (550 pounds) of pure sugar cane every day, with an occasional fruit and vegetable.

    “All arrangements have been made, a Russian plane has been chartered that will land at Rawalpindi’s military (Chaklala Airport) in the morning of November 29, the same evening Kaavan will depart the Marghazar Zoo at 3 PM in VIP protocol paying his last regards to the city where he was brought as a calf from Sri Lanka in 1985. Kaavan was brought up at the same Marghazar Zoo. Here he had a female companion Saheli who later died of gangrene in 2012,” shared Director of the Four Paws Project Dr Amir Khalil.

    “Now at the age of 36, Kaavan is leaving for yet another home into retirement,” said Dr Khalil.

    The doctor added that there are many elephants at the sanctuary, but in particular three female elephants are awaiting Kaavan’s arrival. He joked that Kaavan might just find a girlfriend there.

    On November 24, Islamabad Zoo gave Kaavan a farewell party, which was attended by the public and government officials. The party was held right outside Kaavan’s enclosure and also included performances by Haroon, Natasha Baig, Khumaariyan and Arieb Azhar.

    Later, President of Pakistan Dr Arif Alvi also paid a visit to Islamabad Zoo to bid farewell to Kaavan. During his visit, President Alvi said that he hopes that Kaavan finds happiness in Cambodia.

  • Cher is coming to Pakistan on Nov 27 to see Kaavan off

    American music sensation Cher, who has long been campaigning for Kaavan’s release will reportedly be arriving in Pakistan on November 27 to see the elephant off.

    According to a report in Gulf News, Cher is arriving in Islamabad on November 27 to see Kaavan off as he leaves for Cambodia, where he will spend the rest of his life in a wildlife reserve. The singer says that it will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience and that she “will sob” when she sees him for the first time.

    Earlier, the singer had revealed that she had composed two songs for Kaavan.

    “Can’t wait to sing to him on way to Cambodia,” Cher had said in a tweet.

    36-year-old Kaavan is being relocated to a wildlife sanctuary in Cambodia for retirement after the Islamabad High Court in May this year ruled that the Margazhar Zoo is not fit for animals. Kaavan has spent most of his life in a small enclosure with meagre shelter, and the last eight years alone after his companion elephant Saheli died. The court’s decision came after a four-year global campaign, backed by Cher. He is set to fly out of Pakistan on November 29 on a Russian cargo plane, specially chartered for his transportation.

    Kaavan’s travelling crate

    “All arrangements have been made, a Russian plane has been chartered that will land at Rawalpindi’s military (Chaklala Airport) in the morning of November 29, the same evening Kaavan will depart the Marghazar Zoo at 3 PM in VIP protocol paying his last regards to the city where he was brought as a calf from Sri Lanka in 1985. Kaavan was brought up at the same Marghazar Zoo. Here he had a female companion Saheli who later died of gangrene in 2012,” shared Director of the Four Paws Project Dr Amir Khalil. Four Paws International, the global animal welfare organisation in collaboration with another animals’ rights group, Free the Wild, has raised funds for the relocation of the elephant from Pakistan to Cambodia.

    “Now at the age of 36, Kaavan is leaving for yet another home into retirement,” added Dr Khalil.

    Meanwhile, Islamabad Zoo on Monday gave a farewell party to Kaavan which was attended by the public and government officials. The party was held right outside Kaavan’s enclosure and also included performances by Haroon, Natasha Baig, Khumaariyan and Arieb Azhar.

    Speaking at the farewell, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam said: “It is a sad but the right step to send off the animal to a sanctuary where it will be in a much bigger space and with its own kind.”

    PTI Senator Faisal Javed Khan, who was also at the event, tweeted: “Sorry and farewell to Kaavan as our dearest (from childhood) is off to Cambodia.”

    Later, President of Pakistan Dr Arif Alvi also paid a visit to Islamabad to bid farewell to Kaavan.

    During his visit, President Alvi said that he hopes that Kaavan finds happiness in Cambodia.

  • Cher ‘can’t wait’ to sing to Kaavan ‘on way to Cambodia’

    Cher ‘can’t wait’ to sing to Kaavan ‘on way to Cambodia’

    American singer Cher, who has long campaigned for Kaavan’s freedom has said she cannot wait to sing for Islamabad Zoo’s lone elephant, who caught international attention in recent years for his mistreatment. Kaavan is all set to leave for a wildlife reserve in Cambodia, where he will spend the rest of his life.

    Sharing pictures of Kaavan’s travel crate on Twitter, Cher said: “Can’t wait to sing to him on way to Cambodia. I have two songs.”

    Kaavan is reportedly very fond of music and his vet Amir Khalil has revealed that the elephant is a Frank Sinatra fan and that the singer’s music calms him down. Khalil, who was tasked with assessing whether Kaavan can be moved from Islamabad Zoo to a sanctuary in Cambodia, shared that when he arrived in Pakistan, he started to train the elephant by singing to him.

    In a separate tweet replying to a fan, she said “I’ll be there,” hinting that she would be in Cambodia when Kaavan arrived there.

    36-year-old Kaavan is being relocated to a wildlife sanctuary in Cambodia for retirement after the Islamabad High Court in May this year ruled that the Margazhar Zoo is not fit for the animals. Kaavan has spent most of his life in a small enclosure with meager shelter, and the last eight years alone after his companion elephant died. The court’s decision came after a four-year global campaign, backed by Cher.

    Read more – Cher thanks PM Khan for ‘making her dream come true’

    Earlier, Adviser to Prime Minister Imran Khan on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam had said authorities would “ensure that he lives a happy life”.

    “We are bidding Kaavan farewell with a heavy heart. It is a sad decision,” he had said, adding that Prime Minister Imran Khan was also concerned about Kaavan’s well-being.

  • Cher thanks PM Khan for ‘making her dream come true’

    Cher thanks PM Khan for ‘making her dream come true’

    Following the landmark judgement which directed the Marghazar Zoo in Islamabad to shift all animals, including Kaavan the elephant to wildlife sanctuaries, American pop singer Cher took to social media to thank Prime Minister Imran Khan for “making her dream come true”. Cher added that she was always a big fan of PM Khan since his cricketing days.

    In a series of tweets, the singer not only thanked PM Khan but also various ministers for their efforts.

    Late last month, the Islamabad High Court, had ordered wildlife officials to consult with Sri Lanka to find Kaavan a “suitable sanctuary” within 30 days.

    Kaavan, an Asian elephant from Sri Lanka, has spent nearly three decades in a small cage in the zoo. His treatment and condition sparked international outrage several years ago and caught the attention of Cher, who then propagated for his release. The elephant’s behaviour, including bobbing his head repeatedly, demonstrated “a kind of mental illness” and wildlife experts were of the opinion that he was depressed.

    It is pertinent to add here that PM Khan had also raised his voice for Kaavan back in 2015 and had said that the animal belonged in “a proper sanctuary, not ill-equipped Islamabad Zoo”.

  • American singer Cher thanks Pakistani govt for freeing lonely elephant Kaavan

    American singer Cher thanks Pakistani govt for freeing lonely elephant Kaavan

    The Islamabad High Court has ordered the Islamabad Zoo to move all animals, including their famed elephant Kaavan, to an animal sanctuary within 30 days because it lacks the basic facilities for their proper care and upkeep.

    https://twitter.com/IsbZooFriends/status/1263420894866821120?s=20

    In a judgement, they ordered wildlife officials to consult with Sri Lanka to find Kaavan a “suitable sanctuary” within 30 days.

    The condition and treatment of Kaavan, an Asian elephant from Sri Lanka, who had spent nearly three decades without a female partner in a small cage in the zoo had gathered international outrage several years ago.

    The elephant’s behaviour, including bobbing his head repeatedly, demonstrated “a kind of mental illness” and wildlife experts were of the opinion that he was depressed.

    Apart from not having a partner, activists said he had insufficient shelter from Islamabad’s searing summer temperatures, which can rise to above 40 degrees Celsius (100 Fahrenheit).

    Asian elephants can roam thousands of kilometres through deep tropical and subtropical forests, according to the World Wildlife Fund. In contrast, Kaavan’s 90 by 140 metre (100 by 150 yard) pen had almost no foliage, and only limited shade was provided.

    Read more – Leopard spotted near Islamabad’s hiking trails

    It was also reported that food which was meant for Kaavan was being stolen by his caretakers. Last year, Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry had also alleged that chickens meant to feed lions at the zoo were being cooked in the home of the zoo director.

    Arriving as a one-year-old in 1985 from Sri Lanka, Kaavan was temporarily held in chains in 2002 because zookeepers were concerned about increasingly violent tendencies, but he was freed later that year after an outcry.

    His mate Saheli, who arrived also from Sri Lanka in 1990, died in 2012, and in 2015 it emerged that Kaavan was regularly being chained once more — for several hours a day.

    Kavaan’s misery caught the attention of American music icon and actor, Cher, who had long propagated for his release. After the news of Kavaan’s release emerged, she took to social media to express her joy and thank the Government of Pakistan.

    Cher also referred to this as “one of the greatest moments of her life”.

    IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah, during the hearings, had blasted the Marghazar Zoo for lack of necessities and has asked that all the animals be moved to an animal sanctuary. The Islamabad Zoo will be allowed to keep animals only after they are capable of providing physical, psychological and emotional needs to the animals.