How Riley Keough's Life Changed After Lisa Marie Presley's Death

Tragedy struck the Presley family in January 2023 with the sudden death of Lisa Marie Presley, the only daughter of Elvis Presley and Priscilla Presley. The reported cause of her death was a "sequelae of small bowel obstruction" brought about by a surgery that occurred years prior. She left behind her mom, Priscilla, and three remaining children: Riley Keough and twins Harper and Finley Lockwood. In the wake of this loss, Keough has had to step up to lead the family.

Lisa Marie and Keough were notably close, with the "Magic Mike" star sharing with Vanity Fair that she couldn't have asked for a better parent. "She was really one of a kind," she reflected. "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." And while losing Lisa Marie was devastating, her previous experience with profound loss, having lost her brother Benjamin in 2020, made her better equipped to cope with her mother's demise. She used the strength she gained from that time in her life to get her through this new challenge. 

Keough immediately sprung into action after Lisa Marie's passing, but it wasn't easy. From moving in with her sisters to taking the reins of the Presley estate, the actor her work cut out for her.

Following the death of Lisa Marie Presley, her twin daughters, Harper and Finley Lockwood, were placed under the guardianship of their father, Michael Lockwood. But their big sister Riley Keough, of course, made sure to be a pillar of support for the two, which is why she and her husband, Ben Smith-Petersen, moved to Calabasas to be closer to the pair. Keough didn't even have qualms about moving into a home "that isn't my aesthetic" for the sake of looking after the twins. Being nearer to her sisters was her number one priority.

Keough's bond with her sisters extends beyond the usual sibling relationship. Speaking with Wonderwall, the "Daisy Jones and the Six" star explained that she feels more of a mother to them than a sibling because of their significant age difference. "I'm more maternal to them whereas my brother and I are sort of more equal," she said. "I was a grownup for their whole lives, so it's more of, like, a caretaker relationship."

And while Keough also had to tend to a child of her own, she has reportedly been diligent in carving out quality time for the two, just as their grandmother, Priscilla Presley, does. "Riley and Priscilla have relationships with the twins," an insider told Us Weekly. "Riley comes over to pick up the girls for the day and Priscilla also spends time with them."

There was a deluge of drama surrounding the future of the Presley estate upon Lisa Marie Presley's death, largely triggered by Priscilla Presley's challenges to the "authenticity and validity" of her late daughter's will. Per court files reviewed by ET, Priscilla identified certain discrepancies relating to the will, which appointed Riley Keough as the sole trustee. A months-long legal tussle ensued, and in August 2023, Keough was named the one and only trustee, per People. This meant that the world-famous Graceland, reportedly valued at half a billion, was now under her wing, along with Elvis Presley Enterprises, also worth roughly the same.

Keough has yet to reveal her plans for the estate, but Joel Weinshanker, Elvis Presley Enterprises managing partner and majority owner, shared during Elvis Week 2023 that she was keen on continuing whatever Lisa Marie had previously laid out. "We've got a great roadmap and are doing a lot of great things at Graceland, and Lisa came up with a lot of the ideas. Riley has picked up where Lisa has left off," he said (via Commercial Appeal). "Riley... is very smart, very aware, very on top of things. Graceland is in good hands."

Keough also took the time to clear any speculations that there was any bad blood between her and Priscilla. "There was a bit of upheaval, but now everything's going to be how it was... At the end of the day, all she wants is to love and protect Graceland and the Presley family and the legacy," she clarified in her Vanity Fair interview. 

On top of her mounting responsibilities, Riley Keough also took it upon herself to continue writing, and subsequently publish Lisa Marie Presley's unfinished memoir. Slated for release in October 2024, the "Mad Max: Fury Road" star shared that it was an honor to have been involved in such an intimate project. "Few people had the opportunity to know who my mom really was, other than being Elvis's daughter. I was lucky to have had that opportunity and working on preparing her autobiography for publication has been a privilege, albeit a bittersweet one," she noted in a statement (via Deadline). "I'm so excited to share my mom now, at her most vulnerable and most honest, and in doing so, I do hope that readers come to love my mom as much as I did."

Keough's resilience and sense of responsibility amid a tragedy did not go unnoticed within the Presley family, of course. Speaking with Us Weekly, an insider shared that the rest of the Presleys have a newfound respect for her. "Everyone's in awe of the strength and courage Riley's showing, but what's also evident here is that she's a born leader who's balanced, levelheaded and someone the family can count on to make the right big-picture calls," they said. "Lisa Marie adored her. She was her rock for years before she died — now it's even more obvious why, even if it is unbearably tragic."