In a heartfelt interview with Oprah Winfrey, Riley Keough, daughter of the late Lisa Marie Presley, spoke candidly about her mother’s difficult final years, marked by profound grief and unusual ways of coping with loss.
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Lisa Marie’s Struggle with Grief
Following the tragic death of her son Benjamin Keough by suicide in 2020, Lisa Marie Presley grappled with overwhelming sorrow. Riley shared that her mother’s grief was so intense that it led her to adopt unconventional methods to manage the pain.
Keeping Benjamin’s Body at Home
One of the most startling revelations was that Lisa Marie kept Benjamin’s body at home for two months after his passing. In California, there is no legal requirement to immediately bury someone, allowing Lisa Marie to have her son’s body remain in a bedroom of a separate casita on their property during that time. This personal decision is recounted in Lisa Marie’s posthumous memoir.
Unconventional Memorials
Lisa Marie’s grief also manifested in other unexpected ways. Both she and Riley got matching tattoos in Benjamin’s memory, and Lisa Marie even had a tattoo artist examine her son’s body to ensure the designs replicated Benjamin’s tattoos exactly. Reflecting on these moments, Riley said, “I’ve had an extremely absurd life, but this is definitely in the top five.”
Lisa Marie’s Final Days
In the weeks leading up to her sudden death in January 2023, Riley sensed that something was wrong. She noted that her mother seemed “detached” and “tired” during their last interactions, including a family trip to Disneyland and a final dinner together. While Riley didn’t believe her mother had relapsed into substance use, she said Lisa Marie appeared weary and distant, almost as if life had drained her.
The Toll of Benjamin’s Death
Riley revealed the deep impact Benjamin’s death had on Lisa Marie, saying she didn’t believe her mother could survive without her son. “When my brother died, I thought, ‘This is it for her,'” Riley shared. Lisa Marie had often said she would “die of a broken heart,” a sentiment her family took seriously.
Completing Lisa Marie’s Memoir
After Lisa Marie’s passing, Riley took on the responsibility of finishing her mother’s memoir, titled From Here to the Great Unknown. The book delves into Lisa Marie’s relationships with iconic figures like Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson, as well as the intense grief she endured in her final years.
In her conversation with Oprah, Riley offers a raw and intimate glimpse into the Presley family’s private struggles, showing how deeply grief can shape a person’s life and the lengths people go to honor their loved ones after loss.
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