The Presley family has had its fair share of tragedy, heartbreak, and drama over the past eight months. It all started in mid-January when Lisa Marie Presley suddenly died after suffering cardiac arrest and then continued with some legal drama between Priscilla Presley and Riley Keough over Lisa Marie’s estate.
On August 23, The Hollywood Reporter published an interview with Priscilla Presley and filmmaker Sofia Coppola – who were promoting their upcoming film Priscilla, which tells her story in a way only they can tell. In the interview, she talks about her daughter’s death and the legal drama with her granddaughter.
“I did know there was something not right,” Priscilla says of the days leading up to Lisa Marie’s death. She was rushed to a hospital on January 12 after suffering cardiac arrest and it was later revealed that she died as a result of complications from bariatric surgery, which she had undergone several years prior.
Priscilla Presley recalled the last time she saw her daughter, which was at the Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles. They were there to celebrate Austin Butler for his win at the Golden Globes win – he played the role of Elvis Presley in the hit Elvis film. They had a good time, but the night was eventually cut short.
“We had just gotten there, you go down all these stairs. I tripped a little bit because I had these high heels on, and she started laughing so hard. I started laughing. We hadn’t even had a drink yet. She goes, ‘Oh my God, Mom, you can’t even have a drink,’” she said. At some point, Lisa’s stomach started to hurt.
It was just a couple of days later that she got a call from Danny Keough (Lisa Marie’s ex) telling Priscilla to come to the hospital. Unfortunately, Lisa Marie was already gone by the time she got in the car. It’s a reminder of how precious life is and how we often take the smallest moments and memories for granted.
Lisa Marie Presley was just 54 years old when she passed away. She was the only daughter of Priscilla Presley and Elvis Presley – who married in 1967 before giving birth to Lisa Marie the following year. Elvis and Priscilla were married for nearly six years before she decided to leave him in 1973 due to infidelity.
Priscilla Presley Was Never Not on Good Terms With Riley Keough
In the months that followed Lisa Marie’s death, Priscilla Presley and Riley Keough – Lisa Marie’s eldest daughter – entered a very public legal battle over Lisa Marie’s estate. For months, news outlets talked about the declining relationship between Priscilla and Riley, but it turns out that was never the case.
“Riley is now the executor, which should be right, obviously, being her daughter,” Priscilla Presley said in her interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “Riley and I are on good terms. We were never not on good terms. That was all publicity,” she says – adding it was a private matter that should’ve never gone public.
Riley shared that sentiment in a statement with THR. “Things with Grandma will be happy. They’ve never not been happy,” she claimed. “She was a huge part of creating my grandfather’s legacy and Graceland. He was the love of her life. Anything that would suggest otherwise in the press makes me sad.”
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Today, the Presley family is stronger than ever – though they’re being forced to move forward without a mother (in Riley’s case) and daughter (in Priscilla’s case). “I’m having dinner with [Riley] tonight. We understand what needs to be done. I’m there for her. She knows that. She wants me there for her to help her,” Priscilla Presley said.
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