When they say life is full of ups and downs, perhaps no-one has felt that as keenly as actress Riley Keough over the past few months.
While her career has scaled new heights – earning universal acclaim for her acting and singing in the hit series, Daisy Jones and the Six – she also faced the crushing loss of her mother, Lisa Marie Presley.
After months of reported tension over Lisa Marie's will, Riley has been named as the sole trustee - becoming the new owner of the iconic Graceland estate.
Lisa Marie, the daughter of rock and roll legend Elvis Presley, died aged 54 and it was later confirmed to be from complications from previous surgery.
The cause of death was from complications of a small bowel obstruction tied to bariatric surgery, the autopsy showed.
Sadly, though, there wasn’t much peace for the family following her death, as many public battles played out in the press. There were dramas around the custody of Lisa Marie’s teenage twins, and also reports that Lisa Marie’s mother, Priscilla Presley, was contesting elements of the will, leading to a fracture in the relationship with her granddaughter.
Previously, a Presley family insider discussed Priscilla and Riley's relationship, and told the press, “they do not see eye to eye.”
Priscilla had filed a petition to challenge the validity of her late daughter Lisa Marie’s will after her death.
The legal action disputed a 2016 amendment to Lisa Marie’s will that excised Priscilla as trustee of the estate. Priscilla Presley’s attorneys said she only became aware of the “purported 2016 amendment” after Lisa Marie had passed.
Reports escalated to such a high level of intensity that, after allegations were made about Priscilla being “locked out,” the estate of Graceland officially denied that any locks have been changed in Elvis’ former home.
When discussing the initial fallout following Lisa Marie’s death, Priscilla said in a statement, “I loved Elvis very much as he loved me. Lisa is a result of our love. For anyone to think anything differently would be a travesty of the family legacy and would be disrespectful of what Elvis left behind in his life.”
Once the family had agreed on the future custody of Lisa Marie’s teenage twins, a spokesperson for the family said, “The families are happy. Everyone is happy, unified, together and excited for the future.”
And now, in what appears to be a closing chapter for the family, a court has officially ruled that Riley Keough is the sole trustee of her mother’s estate – meaning the actress now owns Elvis’ Graceland.
The latest legal appointment was approved during a hearing on Friday (August 4) before Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Lynn Healey Scaduto.
Priscilla Presley had previously oversaw the running Graceland, upon Elvis' death in 1977. The estate was always going to be inherited by Lisa Marie, but it was managed by a trust until 1993.
Priscilla's management of Elvis' former home actually helped save the family - after some bad business deals, it was Priscilla's idea to turn the home into a museum, opening it to the public.
It is now the second-most visited home in the United States annually, second only to the White House.
In promising news for the future of the Presley dynasty, it appears that relationships could mend as Priscilla will now stay on as a special adviser to the trust appointed to Riley, and she will receive a monthly payment for her role.
Priscilla will also be allowed to be buried at Graceland, alongside her former husband Elvis and her daughter, Lisa Marie.
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