Here’s Where Riley Keough & Priscilla Presley Stand Now After Their Legal Battle For Lisa Marie’s Estate

1976: Elvis Presley dies

Elvis died on August 16, 1977 at the age of 42 years old. Elvis’ will appointed his father, Vernon Presley, as the executor and a trustee of his estate. The beneficiaries of the trust were Vernon; his daughter Lisa Marie (whom he shared with ex-wife Priscilla Presley); and his grandmother, Minnie Mae Presley. Because Lisa Marie was 9 years old at the time of her father’s death, her inheritance was held until her 25th birthday. Elvis’ mother, Gladys, died 19 years before him in 1958—hence her exclusion from his will.

After Vernon’s death in 1979, Lisa Marie’s mother and Elvis’ ex-wife, Priscilla Presley, was named as one of three trustees in Elvis’ will. The other trustees were the National Bank of Commerce in Memphis and Joseph Hanks, who had been Elvis’ accountant. After Minnie Mae’s death in 1980, Lisa Marie became the only surviving beneficiary. Lisa Marie inherited Elvis’ whole estate on her 25th birthday on February 1, 1993

1993: Lisa Marie Presley creates a trust

Lisa Marie Presley’s original trust, created in 1993 and restated in 2010, named Priscilla Presley and Lisa Marie’s former business manager, Barry Siegel, as co-trustees of the estate, according to the documents.

January 12, 2023: Lisa Marie Presley dies

Lisa Marie Presley died at the age of 54 on January 12, 2023, leaving Riley Keough the sole trustee after her brother Ben died by suicide in 2017.

Priscilla Presley read out a poem in a memorial for her daughter, while Riley Keough’s husband Ben Smith-Petersen read a statement on behalf of her. “Thank you for showing me that love is the only thing that matters in this life. I hope I can love my daughter the way you loved me, and the way you loved my brother and my sisters,” a portion of the statement read.

January 2023: Priscilla Presley files a petition questioning the authenticity of the amendment

Priscilla Presley filed a petition questioning the “authenticity and validity” of a 2016 amendment to Lisa Marie’s trust that removed her and Lisa Marie’s former business manager Barry Siegel as co-trustee and put Riley in charge of the trust.

Priscilla Presley’s attorneys alleged issues with the amendment: that the document misspelled her name, was never delivered to her, and that Lisa Marie’s signature “appears inconsistent with her usual and customary signature.”

January 2023: Priscilla Presley breaks silence on lawsuit

Priscilla revealed a statement about the situation via Entertainment Tonight in January 2023. “I loved Elvis very much as he loved me. Lisa is a result of our love,” Priscilla said. “For anyone to think anything differently would be a travesty of the family legacy and would be disrespectful of what Elvis left behind in his life. There is an individual that bought their way into the family enterprise that is trying to speak on behalf of our family. This person is not a representative of Elvis or our family,” she added, without sharing whom she was referring to. “Please allow us the time we need to work together and sort this out. Please ignore ‘the noise.’ As I have always been there for Elvis’ legacy, our family and the fans, I will continue to forge a pathway forward with respect, honesty, dignity, integrity and love.”

February 2023: Reported tension is high with the Presley family

The matter escalated within the family according to a source via Entertainment Tonight on February 16, 2023. “It has been a very tense and heartbreaking few weeks for both Riley and Priscilla. Riley has been mourning the loss of her mother and is heartbroken to have to deal with a trust dispute with a family member. Priscilla is adamant that she has a valid case and that she will prevail in court. Riley and Priscilla aren’t communicating at this time, but have been in communication through lawyers,” the source shared. The source added that while “they are both gearing up for court, Riley would prefer to settle this dispute privately.”

On how Lisa Marie’s daughter feels about the situation, the source added, “She is heartbroken that this has turned into a public matter and knows her mother would never want this. Riley is very stressed at the moment and has been trying to keep a positive attitude and outlook ahead of her new series coming out,” the source says of Riley’s role in  Daisy Jones & The Six. “Her daughter and husband have been keeping her in good spirits.” However, Priscilla feels that she “is right in her heart,” when it comes to her late daughter’s trust. “She is convinced that old documents had been forged,” the source confirmed.

March 2023: A source says that Priscilla & Riley don’t see “eye to eye”

Sources told People that the family members had tensions with each other amid the lawsuit. “there’s zero question” what her wishes were: “Lisa wanted Riley and Ben to be the trustees,” said Lisa Marie’s friend. Another source said that Riley and her grandmother “do not see eye to eye.”

“Priscilla doesn’t want Riley solely in charge, because then she has no say,” says the family insider. “Meanwhile, Riley doesn’t want Priscilla to butt in.” Another source added, “It’s a very sad situation. Riley is shocked Priscilla is contesting the amendment.”

June 2023: The Presley family reaches a settlement

According to court documents filed in Los Angeles on June 12, 2023, obtained by Entertainment Tonight, Riley Keough reached a settlement with her grandmother, Priscilla. The settlement terms will see the Daisy Jones & The Six actor serve as the sole trustee of her mother’s estate and the sub-trusts for her sisters, twins Harper and Finley Lockwood.

Priscilla will also receive a lump sum, one-time payment from the Trust for an undisclosed amount and she was removed as trustee of Lisa Marie’s estate on May 11, 2023. According to People, Keough’s attorney, Justin Gold, wrote: “In settling the claims pending in Priscilla’s Petition, the parties are saving significant legal fees by avoiding litigation, and they are likewise avoiding the spectacle of intra-family litigation that would have been inimical to Lisa’s wishes and not in the best interests of the family.”

He added: “In settling the claims pending in Priscilla’s Petition, the parties are saving significant legal fees by avoiding litigation, and they are likewise avoiding the spectacle of intra-family litigation that would have been inimical to Lisa’s wishes and not in the best interests of the family.

“My family has resolved all confusion as it relates to our plea to the court and request for document interpretation after my daughter Lisa Marie’s untimely passing,” Priscilla said in a statement via People. “Although some media identified such a plea as a lawsuit, I want to make clear that there was never any lawsuit filed against my beloved granddaughter.”

She continues: “As a family, we are pleased that we resolved this together. My family and I hope that everyone will grant us the privacy we have needed to properly grieve Lisa Marie and spend personal time together. We love and appreciate all of you and the Presley family is stronger than ever.”

November 2023: Judge approves of settlement

Judge Lynn Scaduto signed the agreement on November 1, 2023, confirming that Priscilla will receive a $1 million lump-sum payment funded by Lisa Marie’s $25 million life insurance policy, that her son Navarone Garibaldi will be a beneficiary of Lisa Marie’s trust, and Riley will permit Priscilla to be buried near her ex-husband Elvis Presley at Graceland upon her death.

September 2024: Riley wants to continue Priscilla Presley’s legacy

AS the sole executor of the Presley estate, Riley told People that she only has one goal in mind. “My hope is to continue what my grandmother [Priscilla Presley] did, and then my mother did, which is simply to preserve our family home,” she told the site.

January 2024: Riley appears on the Emmy Red Carpet with her grandmother

Riley Keough took her husband and Priscilla Presley to the 2024 Primetime Emmy Awards after she was nominated for her role in Daisy Jones & The Six. The grandmother-granddaughter duo were wearing matching Chanel dresses.