Riley Keough is opening up about the legal disputes with her grandmother, Priscilla Presley, for the first time following the death of her mother, Lisa Marie Presley. In a wide-ranging cover story for Vanity Fair's September 2023 issue, Keough describes the "upheaval" that occurred within her family after the unexpected death of her mother.
The legal dispute regarded ownership over Lisa Marie's estate, and in the end, Keough was named sole trustee of the estate. Per the settlement, the actress will pay Presley one million dollars and $400,000 in legal fees. Keough explained the situation as simply the business side of being in her family.
"When my mom passed, there was a lot of chaos in every aspect of our lives," she explains. "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."
The Daisy Jones and the Six star also assured that her relationship with her grandmother is still in a positive place despite the legal filings. She adds that Presley's intent has always been to preserve the legacy of Elvis Presley and their family.
"Things with Grandma will be happy," Keough says. "They've never not been happy."
"There was a bit of upheaval, but now everything's going to be how it was," Keough continues. "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."
Another part of the legal dealings that has made headlines is Presley's request to be buried near Elvis at Graceland. When asked about this issue, Keough shrugs off assertions that Priscilla will not be laid to rest among her family.
"I don't know why she wouldn't be buried at Graceland," says Keough. "I don't understand what the drama in the news was about. Yeah. If she wants to be, of course. Sharing Graceland with the world was her idea from the start."
The ladies of the Presley family — Presley, Keough and Lisa Marie's other two daughters Finley and Harper Lockwood — are keeping family at the center in the aftermath of Lisa Marie's death. In the midst of swirling rumors about their legal dealings in June, Presley shared a photo with all three of her granddaughters to celebrate Finley and Harper's middle school graduation.
