Riley Keough on Lisa Marie Presley’s ‘Heartbreaking’ Battle for Nepo’s Baby

Riley Keough reflects on the effect fame had on her late mother, Lisa Marie Presley.

“I think in her case, which isn’t always the case, being the daughter of someone so famous and iconic made it very difficult for her to pursue a career and be a person away from it. . Her whole identity was about being Elvis (Presley),” Keough, 35, said of Lisa Marie in an interview with Ela was released on Sunday, October 27.

Keough added that Lisa Marie “didn’t enjoy” the fame and attention that came with her father’s status as a musical legend.

“The most heartbreaking thing for me growing up was watching this woman, who I saw wanting love and friendship so badly, really try to find it,” she continued. “I think that’s really common at this level of fame. I think being Elvis’s daughter is different from being other people’s daughters. That’s not to say she hasn’t had some great friendships and relationships in her life – it’s just always been a struggle.

Lisa Maria died at the age of 54 in January 2023. The autopsy report subsequently revealed that she died of small intestinal obstruction “caused by adhesions that developed after bariatric surgery” many years earlier.

A month before her death, Lisa Marie asked Keough for help in finishing her memoir. Keough complied and used tapes her mother had previously recorded to complete the book. From here to the Great Unknown hit shelves on October 8 and became an instant hit New York Times best-seller.

“I just felt like something prompted me to finish it for her,” Keough said Ela diary.

The book details Lisa Marie’s darkest moments, from her struggle with addiction to… the death of her son Benjamins by suicide at age 27 in 2020.

“(It’s) a human story that happened under extraordinary circumstances,” Keough said.

Although Keough believes that her grandfather’s fame complicated Lisa Marie’s life, she admitted that family ties may have helped her acting career.

“I’m sure being Elvis’ granddaughter made it easier for me to get an agent and set up meetings and things like that when I was starting out,” she added. Daisy Jones and the Six said the star. “I know there is so much nepo baba (discourse) going on right now and I certainly acknowledge that aspect of the privilege of coming from where I come from. I’m not an idiot! I am acutely aware of privilege.”

Lisa Marie tried to dissuade Keough from pursuing a career in Hollywood, fearing that her relationship with Elvis might hurt her.

“(My mom) told me, ‘If you’re going to do this, you have to be very good at what you do, otherwise no one will take you seriously, you won’t get any job, and it’s embarrassing,'” Keough recalled. “You don’t want to be an embarrassing celebrity kid!” She ingrained that very deeply in me and my brother.”

Not only is Keough a successful actress, but she’s also not easily embarrassed.

“I lack a real chip, which I think can be an advantage for me: I’m not ashamed of performing, making art or writing, because you’re always changing,” she explained. “I feel very fluid with this part of myself. You will always be doing some work; it doesn’t determine your entire existence.