Priscilla Presley (left) with her daughter Lisa Marie Presley (right), pictured in 2015. Photo / Getty
Priscilla Presley (left) with her daughter Lisa Marie Presley (right), pictured in 2015. Photo / Getty
Priscilla Presley insists there is no family feud over her late daughter Lisa Marie’s $US35 million ($56m) estate.
The 77-year-old former wife of Elvis Presley has reportedly been battling her actress grand-daughter Riley Keough, 33, about Lisa’s will since the 54-year-old singer died after suffering a double heart attack in January.
But in Newcastle, during the UK tour of her ‘Evening with Priscilla Presley’ talks, she was asked if she and Riley are on speaking terms.
“We are just fine,” she said.
Priscilla, who was married to Elvis from 1967 to 1973, told host Edith Bowman rumours of a family rift had come “of Memphis” but were ”not true”.
Two weeks after Lisa Marie’s death it was reported Priscilla had filed paperwork challenging an amendment made in 2016 to her daughter’s will, said to have removed her and Lisa Marie’s ex-business manager Barry Siegel as co-trustees and left Riley and her brother Benjamin Keough in charge.
As Benjamin took his life at 27, Riley was left as the sole heir. Lisa Marie’s half-brother, Navarone, 36, recently supported Priscilla’s insistence there is no family war over money.
He said Priscilla and Riley had been out for dinner after Lisa Marie’s death, telling fans on Instagram when asked about the pair’s relationship: “Yes they are fine. No feud. We did go to dinner, it went great, it’s all good.”
It was reported by Radar Online in March that Priscilla had been locked out of Elvis’ Graceland estate by Riley Keough.
Elvis Presley and his wife, Priscilla, prepare to leave the hospital with newborn Lisa Marie. Photo / Getty
A source told the outlet only Riley and Angie Marchese – vice-president of Archives and Exhibits at Graceland in Memphis – have the keys to the mansion and that the locks have been changed “on the upstairs doors and archives”.
Along with two life insurance policies totalling $35 million (NZ $56m), Lisa Marie’s will also contains the rights to Elvis’ Graceland mansion and a 15 per cent stake in Elvis Presley Enterprises.
It has also been reported Priscilla and Lisa Marie were barely speaking due to the actress siding with her daughter’s former husband Michael in his long and bitter divorce from the singer – despite the fact they appeared in public together, including at the Golden Globes, where Austin Butler, 31, won best actor for playing the king in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis biopic two days before Lisa Marie’s death.
Guitarist Michael had been getting US$40,000 a month in child maintenance from Lisa Marie for their twins.
Lisa Marie was left Elvis’ entire estate in his will when he died in 1977 aged 42, and she took control of the trust at 25 in 1993.
Elvis was worth only around US$5 million when he died, but Lisa Marie brought in millions by turning Graceland into a tourist attraction and setting up Elvis Presley Enterprises to cash in on his image and legacy.
Priscilla had said Lisa Marie’s writing on her will amendment “appears inconsistent with her daughter’s usual and customary signature”, and she has stressed the singer’s name is misspelled on the document, which was never notarised or delivered to her.
