Riley Keough is opening up about her famous family in a revealing new interview.
The actress, who is the granddaughter of Elvis Presley, sat down with Vanity Fair for a cover story published Tuesday. Keough, 34, spoke at length about the sudden death of mom Lisa Marie Presley in January after complications from weight-loss surgery, as well as the subsequent legal battle that ensued with grandma Priscilla Presley over her mother’s estate.
Priscilla issued a statement in May that the family “resolved all confusion as it relates to our plea to the court.” According to Vanity Fair, Keough is the sole trustee of Lisa Marie’s estate, as well as the sole custodian of Graceland and the family shares of Elvis Presley Enterprises – reportedly valued at roughly $500 million.
“When my mom passed, there was a lot of chaos in every aspect of our lives,” Keough told Vanity Fair. “Everything felt like the carpet had been ripped out and the floor had melted from under us. 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. 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.”
Asked whether things with Priscilla are happy now, Keough said they “will be.”
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“There was a bit of upheaval, but now everything’s going to be how it was,” Keough said. “She’s a beautiful woman, and she was a huge part of creating my grandfather’s legacy and Graceland. It’s very important to her. He was the love of her life. Anything that would suggest otherwise in the press makes me sad because, at the end of the day, all she wants is to love and protect Graceland and the Presley family and the legacy. That’s her whole life. So it’s a big responsibility she has tried to take on. None of that stuff has really ever been a part of our relationship prior. She’s just been my grandma.”
Despite conflicting reports, Keough assured that Priscilla is allowed to be buried at Graceland next to late husband Elvis. Generations of the Presley family are buried at the Memphis estate, including Keough’s younger brother, Benjamin, who died by suicide at age 27 in 2020.
“He, in a lot of ways, felt like my twin,” Keough said. “We were very connected and very similar. He was much quicker and wittier and a little smarter than me. He was a very special soul.”
Graceland is now a place of “great sadness” for Keough, although there has been light amidst family tragedy. Last August, Keough and husband Ben Smith-Petersen welcomed a daughter via surrogate: Tupelo Storm Smith-Peterson. Tupelo is the name of Elvis’ birthplace in Mississippi, while Storm was Benjamin’s middle name.
“I was like, ‘This is great because it’s not really a well-known word or name in relation to my family – it’s not like Memphis or something,” Keough said. “Then when the ‘Elvis’ movie came out (last year), it was like, Tupelo this and Tupelo that. I was like, ‘Oh, no.’ But it’s fine.”
Keough is currently undergoing treatment for Lyme disease, which influenced her decision to use a surrogate for her first child.
“I think it’s a very cool, selfless, and incredible act that these women do to help other people,” Keough said. “I can carry children, but it felt like the best choice for what I had going on physically with the autoimmune stuff.”
Keough is currently Emmy-nominated for her performance in Prime Video series “Daisy Jones & the Six.” Meanwhile, Sofia Coppola’s new movie about her grandmother, “Priscilla,” will play New York Film Festival this fall.
