LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Riley Keough has won the legal battle over the administration of her late mother Lisa Marie Presley’s estate. After a dispute with her grandmother Priscilla Presley, the reins of the estate were officially handed over to Riley Keough.
This decisive outcome was decreed by Judge Lynn Healey Scaduto of the Los Angeles Superior Court, during a pivotal hearing held on July 28, as meticulously detailed in a report by Deadline. The legal confrontation stemmed from a petition filed earlier this year in Los Angeles by Priscilla Presley, an iconic figure in her own right as the former spouse of the legendary Elvis Presley and the mother of Lisa Marie Presley. In her petition, Priscilla Presley raised concerns regarding the authenticity and legitimacy of her late daughter's last will and testament.
Did Riley Keough have it coming?
At the heart of the dispute was a 2016 amendment bearing Lisa Marie's signature. Priscilla Presley contended that the signature displayed a disconcerting lack of uniformity, casting doubt on its validity. Notably, this particular amendment had significant ramifications, as it stipulated the removal of Priscilla and Lisa Marie's former business manager, Barry Siegel, from their roles as co-trustees.
In their stead, the amendment designated Lisa Marie's eldest child—Riley and Benjamin Keough—as the newly anointed co-trustees. Tragically, the estate had to grapple with the untimely demise of Benjamin Keough, who sadly took his own life in 2020.
At the age of 34, Riley Keough had previously come to an agreement regarding Lisa Marie Presley's trust. This settlement was reached in collaboration with both Priscilla Presley and Michael Lockwood. Michael Lockwood, who is Lisa Marie's former husband and the father of her 14-year-old twins, Harper and Finley Lockwood, was a key party in this arrangement.
Riley Keough will also own Elvis Presley’s Graceland estate
Notably, Priscilla and Riley found themselves in a state of communication breakdown amid the intense legal conflict. Their relationship had reportedly become strained as the legal battle unfolded.
In her new capacity, Riley Keough will assume responsibility for overseeing the sub-trusts designated for her half-sisters, a development reported by Deadline. Meanwhile, Priscilla, aged 77, will assume the role of a special adviser to the trust and will receive a monthly remuneration for her advisory role.
In another significant news, Keough has been designated as the proprietor of her grandfather's illustrious Graceland estate in Tennessee. As part of the agreement, Priscilla will have the privilege of being interred at the Graceland estate after her death.
Lisa Marie Presley, the sole child of the icon Elvis Presley, died at the age of 54 due to cardiac arrest on January 12, 2023. Her final resting place now lies alongside her son Benjamin and her late father, entwining their legacies at the Graceland estate.
