Riley Keough Opens Up About Lisa Marie Presley, Elvis Estate

Riley Keough discussed the legacy of her mother, the late singer Lisa Marie Presley, in a recent Vanity Fair cover story. According to Keough, the pair both attended a party for Elvis one day after Austin Butler won a Golden Globe for his performance in the Baz Luhrmann biopic. “We had dinner,” Keough recalled. “That was the last time I saw her. I remember thinking about how beautiful she looked, and that was my strongest memory of the dinner.” Presley was hospitalized and died at age 54 the next day, on January 12. When asked what she would want people to remember about her mother, Keough emphasized Presley’s ability to be “unapologetically herself” despite “treachery” she endured. “People were just coming for her since she was born — wanting something from her and not being totally authentic,” Keough said. “She had to develop very thick skin. She was a very powerful presence and extremely loving and extremely loyal and sort of a lioness — a fierce woman, and a really wonderful mother. I think that would be my summary because I’m her daughter. She was the best mom.” Keough’s brother, Benjamin Keough, died in 2020. With the loss of both family members, Keough reflected that parts of herself have died, and that she has felt like her heart has “exploded.” “But I also feel… I’m trying to think of how to phrase this… I have strengthened the qualities that have come about through adversity,” she said.

Presley’s death was followed by a months-long family dispute over who would inherit Elvis’s estate. “Everyone was in a bit of a panic to understand how we move forward, and it just took a minute to understand the details of the situation, because it’s complicated,” Keough said. “We are a family, but there’s also a huge business side of our family. So I think that there was clarity that needed to be had.” The Daisy Jones & The Six actress recently became the sole trustee after reaching a settlement — reportedly to the tune of $1 million and $400,000 covered in legal fees — with her grandmother, Priscilla Presley. Luckily, these legal matters apparently haven’t caused their relationship to sour. “Things with Grandma will be happy,” Keough said. “They’ve never not been happy.”