A relationship strained by fame and wealth but mended
by tragedy. Lisa Marie and her mother's relationship was anything but simple.
Elvis and Priscilla's marriage wasn't exactly easy, with Elvis reportedly having
approached Priscilla about separating when she was seven months pregnant,
which was also seven months after they got married.
Nevertheless, Lisa Marie spent the first four years of her life at her father's famed home,
Graceland. Insider has described those years as homey, and noted that the family had a number
of pets. Ultimately, the pair's marriage ended when Lisa Marie was 4 years old.
After her parents divorced, Lisa Marie spent most of her school holidays and
breaks at Graceland with her dad. She was at the home in Memphis, Tennessee,
when her father died in August 1977. Lisa Marie was only 9 years old when her dad passed away,
and she ended up moving to Los Angeles with her mom permanently.
Lisa Marie Presley didn't open up about her childhood for a number of years. When
she did speak about growing up with her famous parents, she was always clear about one thing:
of the two, her mother was by far the stricter parent. Of course,
Lisa Marie was also open about the fact that her mother might have had no choice,
as her father gleefully went to great lengths to celebrate and spoil his only child.
While on "The Talk" in 2013, Lisa Marie explained that Priscilla often ended up having to,
quote, "undo whatever was done if I went to Graceland and spent two weeks being a tyrant."
She went on to detail what it was like to grow up with a mom that
was very strict and shared how their relationship was impacted by this. She
also said it made her reevaluate her own parenting style with her children, saying
"I realized that is not going to work very well
because it made us not get close for a very long time."
She continued to say,
"We are now very close, but when I was younger, it was, like, difficult to have
a relationship with somebody that's got you like that ... around the neck all the time."
Priscilla Presley was reportedly introduced to the Church of Scientology by John Travolta
in the years that followed Elvis Presley's death. According to Metro, Priscilla opted
to raise her daughter in the church as well, although Lisa Marie later left the church.
When Lisa Marie began experimenting with drugs at the age of 13,
her mother turned to the church for help. Priscilla sent Lisa Marie to The Castle,
a Hollywood-based Scientology center, in the hopes that the organization would be able to
help her daughter. A former member of the Church of Scientology later told the New
York Post that Lisa Marie never got over her father's death, especially as she saw
his body after he passed away, and that this contributed significantly to her drug use.
In August 2022, Lisa Marie herself addressed this trauma. As she wrote in an essay for People,
"I've dealt with death, grief and loss since the age of 9 years old. I've had
more than anyone's fair share of it in my lifetime and somehow, I've made it this far."
Lisa Marie Presley filed for divorce from her ex-husband Michael Lockwood in 2016 and the
pair nearly immediately began a fierce custody battle over their twin daughters. Lisa Marie and
Lockwood's fight took many twists and turns, and at one point, Priscilla Presley stepped
in and assumed temporary custody of the pair's twin daughters. As reported by OK! Magazine,
Priscilla entered the picture when it was alleged that Lockwood had what was termed
"disturbing" photographs of children on his computer. However, his lawyer later
told Us Weekly the allegations were, quote, "highly sensational, inaccurate and unproven."
As Priscilla told Us Weekly,
Priscilla enjoyed taking care of her then eight-year-old granddaughters. She explained,
"It's great, it's absolutely great [having them at home with me]. I love it,
I love it. Having twins is quite an experience,
I have to say. Both of them are very different. Wonderful kids, wonderful children."
Eventually, Lisa Marie and Lockwood entered into a new custody agreement that awarded
Lisa Marie with primary physical custody of the girls. However, Lockwood challenged this order
following the death of Lisa Marie's son Benjamin in 2020. At the time of Lisa Marie's passing,
the custody agreement had not been altered, according to the Daily Mail.
In July 2020, Lisa Marie Presley's son Benjamin Keough died by suicide. The
loss of her son devastated Lisa Marie, and her mother Priscilla stepped in to
help her cope. In a 2022 essay she penned for People, Lisa Marie admitted that though she
lived with grief from the age of 9, losing her son was extraordinarily difficult. She wrote,
"But this one, the death of my beautiful, beautiful son? The
sweetest and most incredible being that I have ever had the privilege of knowing,
who made me feel so honored every single day to be his mother? ... No. Just no."
It was a tragedy felt by the whole family. As his sister Riley said after his death,
"He was, you know, incredible. He was so smart, so funny."
A source told OK! Magazine that Lisa Marie and Priscilla struggled over the years,
reportedly becoming estranged during Lisa Marie's protracted divorce proceedings against Michael
Lockwood. However, Priscilla stepped in to help Lisa Marie after her son died. The source alleged,
"They became close again after Ben's death. ... Priscilla supported her as much as she could."
Priscilla Presley confirmed Lisa Marie Presley's death
in January 2023. In a statement to People, Priscilla revealed,
"It is with a heavy heart that I must share the devastating news that my
beautiful daughter Lisa Marie has left us. She was the most passionate strong
and loving woman I have ever known. We ask for privacy as we try to deal with this profound
loss. Thank you for the love and prayers. At this time there will be no further comment."
Priscilla's statement followed the news that Lisa Marie had been taken to the
hospital after experiencing an episode of cardiac arrest in her home. The Daily Mail
reported that Lisa Marie was found by her housekeeper, who called paramedics to the
scene. Medical personnel were able to regain Lisa Marie's pulse following the first event,
but she had no brain activity when she arrived at the hospital. She reportedly suffered a
second cardiac arrest in the hospital and her family signed a "do not resuscitate"
while she was in an induced coma. Priscilla was at her daughter's side when she died.