According to sources, Priscilla Presley, the widow of Elvis Presley, has broken off communication with Riley Keough due to a disagreement over Lisa Marie Presley’s estate.
The key players in the contentious legal dispute, which has been fought out between the two parties’ attorneys for the past month, are Priscilla, 77, and Keough, 33.
After it was discovered the 54-year-old had amended the wording of her will to make daughter Riley and son Benjamin – who died by suicide in 2020 – her only heirs, the tragic death of the King of Rock’s only child last month set off the story.
Priscilla was completely deleted from the will following the 2016 amendment.
The precise amount Lisa Marie left is unknown, however, numerous stories claim she blew the $100 million inheritance she received upon her father’s passing in 1977. Lisa Marie’s mother was evidently angered by the move, and she has now filed a lawsuit against the 2016 change.
An individual with ties to the family revealed on Thursday that Priscilla is no longer speaking to her granddaughter, despite just a few weeks ago advising fans to “ignore the hype” regarding the continuing will dispute.
According to the unnamed insider who spoke to Entertainment Tonight, “Riley has been grieving the loss of her mother and is heartbroken to have to deal with a trust dispute with a family member.”
Priscilla is unwavering in her belief that she has a solid case and will win in court.
Although they aren’t speaking directly right now, Riley and Priscilla have been in contact with each other via attorneys.
The source further stated that both women are currently “gearing up” for a contentious court battle, even though Keough would like to resolve this conflict discreetly.
The source noted that Priscilla has remained “convinced that [the] old documents had been fabricated,” adding, “She is heartbroken that this has evolved into a public problem and knows her mother would never desire this.”
In contrast, Keough, who has had to bury both her mother and brother in the last three years, has been “extremely stressed” over the conflict but is “trying to retain a positive attitude,” the source said.
Priscilla has vehemently contested the validity of the addendum ever since Lisa Marie’s will’s contents were made public, claiming her daughter’s signature on the seven-year-old document was incongruous.
Since then, she has pleaded with the public to give her and her family the space they require “to work together and figure things out” as the famous family attempts to resolve the dispute.
Priscilla stated that she wanted to find “a pathway ahead with respect, honesty, dignity, integrity, and love” when discussing the ongoing conflict this month.
She submitted the required legal paperwork to contest the 2016 change that removed Barry Siegel, Lisa Marie’s former business manager, and her from the trustee list.
Both were replaced by Riley and the late Ben Keough, whose suicide by gunshot in July 2020 left Riley the sole executor, much like Lisa Marie was after the death of her flamboyant father.
Priscilla’s other complaints about the recently uncovered modification include that it was never sent to her, that the document’s date is a mystery, and that her name is misspelled.
Joel Weinshanker, a managing partner at Elvis Presley Enterprises, insisted: “That was always Riley and Ben.” He made this statement on SiriusXM’s Elvis Radio.
She was certain that they would serve as stewards and that they would approach the situation similarly to how she did.
Riley was obviously very affected by Ben’s passing, as was evident.
Riley was informed that she would be managing the trust, according to Weinshanker.
Although Riley is a well-known actress and a talented director, he claimed that she had always been interested in leadership and had known that day would come.
In his statement, Weinshanker stated that “sometimes you just have to take a position.”
He remarked, “When Elvis died, he left everything to his little child.”
He did it with the knowledge that she would carry on his legacy.
“I can assure you that she has always been the one to look at what was best for Elvis,” despite everything else going on in her life or profession.
Regardless of what someone else tried to do or what another family member [tried to do], according to Weinshanker, Lisa Marie was concerned about the trust.
Lisa Marie, who was appointed the King’s sole executor in 1977, didn’t get her $100 million inheritance until January 29, 1993, when she turned 25.
On January 27, 2010, an amendment and complete restatement of the trust, which includes the family’s large Tennessee property Graceland, named her mother and Siegel as trustees.
According to the court document, Lisa Marie Presley “nominated her mother, Petitioner, and her former business manager, Barry Siegel, as co-Trustees effective as of the date of the 2010 restatement.”
“The 2010 Restatement additionally specifies that upon Lisa Marie Presley’s subsequent disability and/or death, Petitioner and Barry Siegel shall continue to function as co-Trustees.”
In 2018, Siegel and Lisa Marie, who, like her father, had battled with drugs and money throughout her career, were embroiled in a protracted legal dispute as a result of her deteriorating financial status.
After cutting connections with Siegel, Lisa Marie claimed that Siegel had prioritized his own financial interests over hers.
Yet, many have questioned how much money Lisa Marie actually had due to accusations that she wasted her fortune, despite the fact that she received a $100 million inheritance in 1993.
She may have had a negative net worth at the time of her death, according to some celebrity blogs, and wasn’t wealthy enough to rank among the highest-paid celebrities on Forbes’ list.
Through a trust, she continued to be the owner of Graceland, Presley’s $10 million Memphis estate that is now a popular tourist destination.
Riley, as well as the twins, Harper and Finley, who are 14 years old, will now inherit Graceland.
Lisa Marie was buried close to her son Benjamin and her late father after passing away.
Her remaining relatives are still at odds with one another.
