Riley Keough has opened up about her relationship with her grandmother Priscilla Presley following their highly-publicised legal battle over the Elvis Presley estate.
Keough has commented on speculation surrounding her relationship with Priscilla.
(Image: Getty)In an interview with Vanity Fair, Keough reflected on the days following Lisa Marie’s passing, telling the publication, “When my mum passed, there was a lot of chaos in every aspect of our life… 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.”
“We are a family, but there’s also a huge business side of our family, so I think that was where the clarity needed to be had.”
The business side of the Presley family drew significant media attention following reported contention surrounding the ownership of Graceland and the Presley family shares in Elvis Presley Enterprises.
The alleged rift between Riley and her grandmother Priscilla Presley reportedly stemmed from a 2016 amendment to a portion of the Elvis Presley estate, held in trust by Lisa Marie, that sought to transfer the rights of co-trustee from Priscilla to Riley.
Keough is Elvis Presley’s first grandchild.
(Image: Getty)Speaking on her relationship with Priscilla, Keough dispelled any rumours of animosity between the Presley women.
“Things with Grandma will be happy. They’ve never not been happy… There was a bit of an upheaval, but how everything is going to be how it was. She’s a beautiful woman, and she was a huge part of creating my grandfather’s legacy and Graceland.”
“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,” Keough continued.
Following their legal settlement in May 2023, Keough now assumes the role of sole trustee of Graceland; prompting speculation that the rumoured rift would barr Priscilla from being buried alongside her husband on the mansion’s grounds.
“I don’t know why she wouldn’t be buried at Graceland. I don’t understand what the drama in the news was about. If she wants to be, of course,” Keough stated, crediting her grandmother as an instrumental figure in “sharing Graceland with the world.”
“She’s a beautiful woman.”
(Image: Getty)Keough also shared a rare glimpse into her life as a new mother, confirming that she and husband Ben Smith-Peterson had welcomed their daughter Tupelo Storm Smith-Peterson via surrogate in August 2022.
“I think it’s a very cool, selfless, and incredible act that these women do to help other people. I can carry children, but it felt like the best choice for what I had going on physically with the autoimmune stuff,” Keough told Vanity Fair, with the star sharing that she had also been struggling with chronic pain as a result of Lyme Disease.
When discussing the inspiration behind her daughter’s name, the Daisy Jones & the Six star offered a subtle tribute to her grandfather, with Tupelo, Mississippi being the town of Elvis’ birth.
“It’s funny, because we picked her name before the Elvis movie. 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.”
Riley and Ben have been married since 2015.
(Image: Getty)
