Riley Keough, the eldest daughter of the late Lisa Marie Presley, has recently opened up about her complex relationship with her mother and her own approach to parenting. Lisa Marie Presley passed away in January 2023 at the age of 54 due to a small bowel obstruction. In a candid discussion surrounding Presley’s posthumous memoir, “From Here to the Great Unknown,” Keough shared insights into her mother’s struggles with grief and addiction, and how these experiences have shaped her own parenting philosophy.
Keough revealed that she began to assume a caretaker role in her relationship with Presley in her mid-twenties, particularly as her mother grappled with addiction. She noted a pivotal shift in their dynamic, stating, "There was a certain point, probably in my mid-twenties, when I sort of became more of the caretaker in the relationship. And I think it was around when she became addicted to opiates," adding that Presley was always the leader in their family until then.
"Cause she was always sort of the leader in our family," – Riley Keough
"And at that point, I sort of, yeah, our dynamic changed a lot.” – Riley Keough
Keough believes that her mother never fully processed the grief of losing her father, Elvis Presley. She elaborated on how her mother's public persona may have influenced her reluctance to share personal feelings.
"I don't think she processed her grief," – Riley Keough
"I think that because her grief was so public, she would hide a lot of her feelings because they felt personal, like something she could keep to herself. So I think because of that, she didn't really talk about the grief so much." – Riley Keough
"It wasn't until Lisa Marie Presley's late 40s when she began to realize that she hadn't discussed her grief with others." – Riley Keough
Reflecting on her own upbringing and the lessons learned from it, Keough emphasized her desire to parent differently. She aims to ensure her children, including daughter Tupelo Storm with husband Ben Smith-Petersen, do not feel burdened by the responsibility for her happiness.
"I don't want my children to feel like my happiness is their responsibility," – Riley Keough
"For me personally, I think that the problem there could be for some that when you're used to so much, it's hard to find joy in simple things." – Riley Keough
Keough also touched on her close bond with her father, Danny Keough, even after their marriage ended in 1994. She shared that as a child, she struggled to understand the concept of divorce, mistakenly believing it meant her father was no longer part of her life.
Keough's reflections on her childhood highlight both the privileges and challenges of growing up in a high-profile family. She described her mother as an amazing parent who sought to give her children extraordinary experiences akin to those provided by Elvis Presley.
"I think she was such an amazing parent and she wanted us to have — I think her father did — these amazing experiences all the time," – Riley Keough
"And so I really want my children to be able to find joy and just playing in the backyard and doing normal kid stuff and not need like elephants and circus and all these things all the time," – Riley Keough
