Priscilla Presley Breaks Silence Following ‘Devastating Death’ of Grandson Benjamin Keough

On Wednesday, Priscilla Presley opened up about the passing of her grandson, Benjamin Keough. The 75-year-old actress shared her thoughts with fans in a Facebook post, saying: “These are some of the darkest days in my family’s life.”

Keough passed away on July 12 at his home in California, in an apparent suicide. The 27-year-old was the son of Lisa Marie Presley, who is the daughter of Priscilla and legendary singer Elvis Presley. After taking over a week to reflect, Presley addressed the devastating loss publicly for the first time on Wednesday. She wrote: “The shock of losing Ben has been devastating. Trying to put all the pieces together of all the possible whys has penetrated my soul.”

“Each day I wake up I pray it will get better,” she continued. “Then, I think of my daughter and the pain she is going through as she was a doting mother. Ben’s father, Danny, who is completely lost, as Ben was his only son. Riley, so loving and so close to him; Harper and Finley, who absolutely adored Ben. Navarone, who struggles deeply with loss and death. Rest In Peace Ben, you were loved.”

Keough was discovered with a self-inflicted gunshot wound at his home in Calabasas, California on Sunday, July 12, according to a report by Entertainment Tonight. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office ruled his cause of death to be suicide. Fans have been mourning the quiet young star ever since — from those who remember his grandfather’s iconic days in the spotlight to those who grew up in his shadow alongside Keough. Keough was the son of musician Danny Keough and Lisa Marie Presley, the only child of Elvis and Presley. She was born a year after the couple married when Presley was 23 years old.

Presley met Elvis in Germany in 1959, while the singer was serving in the U.S. Army. She was 14 years old and he was 24, though they reportedly began a relationship then anyway. After he returned to the U.S., she moved there permanently to be with him in 1963. She was still in high school at the time.

It is not clear how close Presley and Benjamin Keough were exactly, as neither has spent much time in the spotlight over the last few years. Keough secured a record deal nearly a decade ago, but more recently he has appeared to be a more private person. The eulogies of other family members seem to confirm this as well.