Priscilla Presley has tearfully recalled the final days of her daughter Lisa Marie’s life.
Before Lisa Marie died unexpectedly earlier this year at the age of 54, Priscilla had already lost her grandson in 2020 and her mother in 2021. Priscilla spoke about her daughter’s death on Wednesday in a TalkTV interview with Piers Morgan.
“She didn’t look well that night and I was concerned,” Priscilla said, as reported by the New York Post.
“She asked Jerry Schilling, one of my best friends, if he could hold her,” the former actor continued.
“Her heels were high, but she had worn them before, and I thought, ‘Is she OK?’ She didn’t really look that OK — she looked very frail.”
On the night in question, Priscilla and Lisa Marie attended the 2023 Golden Globes in support of Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis Presley biopic. The director, his acclaimed biopic and lead actor Austin Butler were all nominated at this year’s ceremony, with Austin winning for his acting performance.
Priscilla told the host that the evening had begun swimmingly.
“We watched the show,” she said. “We had a few laughs, and we were all excited about Austin Butler and Baz, and the movie went so well, we were proud of them.
“Then we started to go, and she said, ‘Mum, do you want to go to Chateau Marmont and have a drink?’”
Priscilla said they arrived at the iconic hotel and both tripped on a staircase, making them laugh. When Lisa Marie said her “stomach really hurts,” the pair decided to call their respective cars — before unwittingly sharing a final goodbye.
“I hugged her, and she went her way, and I went mine,” Priscilla told Piers. “And that hug was the last hug I gave her.”
Lisa Marie’s ex-husband Danny Keough, with whom she shared daughter Riley Keough and son Benjamin Keough, called Priscilla two days later. Lisa Marie was hospitalised after a cardiac arrest, which an autopsy later concluded was caused by a bowel obstruction.
“It was unbearable,” Priscilla told the broadcaster. “I lost my mother. I lost my grandson, and I lost my daughter. It’s still shocking that we don’t have her.”
Benjamin died by suicide at 27 in Calabasas, California. Priscilla told Piers that Lisa Marie was experiencing suicidal feelings before she died, as “losing Ben was the hardest thing for her”.
“He took his own life, and he was the love of her life, that child, she adored him,” Priscilla said.
“She would do anything for him, anything. We were in Memphis, sitting up in the suite, and she said, ‘Mum, I don’t know if I want to be here.’”
The Presley-Keough family later fought over the will of Lisa Marie, who removed Priscilla as manager of the estate in 2016 and replaced her with Ben and Riley. The latter settled with Priscilla in June for $1 million and made her a “special advisor” of Graceland.
“I love her,” Priscilla told Piers. “We have always gotten along. It was a little bit of trying to figure out the will ... but Riley and I have always been close.
“I think Riley will be great, she has asked me a few things about what to do. I want to help her with Graceland.”
Priscilla continued: “She has a great head on her shoulders. I trust her.”
Help and support:
- Mind, open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on 0300 123 3393.
- Samaritans offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on 116 123 (UK and ROI - this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill).
- CALM (the Campaign Against Living Miserably) offer a helpline open 5pm-midnight, 365 days a year, on 0800 58 58 58, and a webchat service.
- The Mix is a free support service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email help@themix.org.uk
- Rethink Mental Illness offers practical help through its advice line which can be reached on 0808 801 0525 (Monday to Friday 10am-4pm). More info can be found on rethink.org.