Priscilla Presley Speaks Out About Legal Drama With Granddaughter Riley Keough

Priscilla Presley says she and granddaughter Riley Keough were “never not on good terms” amid their legal dispute over Lisa Marie Presley’s will. Following months of back-and-forth between Elvis Presley’s ex-wife and her granddaughter, Priscilla told The Hollywood Reporter where her relationship with the Daisy Jones & the Six actress stands today. 

Following Lisa Marie’s unexpected death due to complications with past bariatric surgery on Jan. 12, Priscilla filed a petition questioning the authenticity and validity of her late daughter’s will, specifically a 2016 amendment that removed her and the family’s former business manager, Barry Siegel, as trustees, replacing them with Lisa Marie’s two oldest kids – Riley and Benjamin Keough, who died of suicide in 2020 at 27. Priscilla said she had not been notified of the change, which was required by the trust, and that she had questions about her daughter’s signature. In May, attorneys for Priscilla and Riley confirmed that they had reached an agreement, despite rumors of tension between the two family members.

“Riley is now the executor, which should be right, obviously, being her daughter,” Priscilla told THR of the conclusion of the legal battle. “Riley and I are on good terms. We were never not on good terms. That was all publicity. This is private and this is not something to fool around with and say that we’re not agreeing.” She continued, claiming she was having dinner with her granddaughter that very night. “We understand what needs to be done. I’m there for her,” Priscilla continued. “She knows that. She wants me there for her to help her.”

Riley recently addressed the family turmoil in an Aug. 8 profile with Vanity Fair, saying that after her mom’s death, “everyone was in a bit of a panic to understand how we move forward, and it just took a minute to understand the details of the situation, because it’s complicated.” The actress continued, “We are a family, but there’s also a huge business side of our family. So I think that there was clarity that needed to be had.”

Riley confirmed that things with her grandmother had “never not been happy,” despite the “upheaval” their lives had experienced, and “at the end of the day, all she wants is to love and protect Graceland and the Presley family and the legacy.” She explained, “That’s her whole life. So it’s a big responsibility she has tried to take on. None of that stuff has really ever been a part of our relationship prior. She’s just been my grandma.”