Riley Keough wrote an emotional letter to her grandmother, Priscilla Presley, detailing how hurt she was about being taken to court after her mother Lisa Marie Presley died.
The letter, obtained by Us Weekly on Friday, September 5, was made public in an amended lawsuit submitted in Los Angeles Superior Court earlier this week amid Priscilla’s legal battle with former business partners, Brigitte Kruse and Kevin Fialko.
According to the letter submitted in the filing, Keough wrote about feeling heartbroken that her grandmother attempted to take her to court after her mother’s death. (Lisa Marie was the only daughter of Priscilla and Elvis Presley.)
“Unfortunately Nona as you are taking me to court I am being forced to defend my mother’s wishes legally and publicly which would not have been my choice,” Keough, 36, wrote. “It is really hurtful that after years of me trying to resolve your and my mother’s broken relationship and restore our family, you are taking me, of all people, to court.”
Priscilla Presley Accused of Withdrawing Medical Care From Lisa Marie
Keough also claimed to have “protected” Priscilla, 80, from potential legal battles with Lisa Marie before she died in January 2023 at 54.
“I have protected you from lawsuits from my mother, often advocating for you and always tried to keep everyone operating out of love,” the letter reads. “Even a few weeks before my mother passed she wanted to sue you again and you called me for help. I advised her so strongly against it, which resulted in a fight between me and her. But as you know she chose to listen to me and not sue you.”
Shortly after Lisa Marie’s death in 2023, Priscilla contested her daughter’s will, which named Keough as the beneficiary of the late singer’s estate (The pair reached a settlement in May 2023.)
An email, which was sent on January 31, 2023 and submitted in the filing earlier this week, partly addressed this drama.
“I must also share with you that I found being called about the will, less than 24 hours after my mother passed and getting emails from lawyers before my mother was even buried incredibly heartbreaking,” Keough wrote.
The personal messages were submitted as part of the filing as evidence purporting to show that Lisa Marie was planning to sue Priscilla before her death, and was prevented from doing so by Keough’s intervention.
Us Weekly has reached out to Priscilla’s representative for comment.
Priscilla’s former business partners, Kruse and Fialko filed a lawsuit on August 11, alleging Priscilla withdrew medical care from Lisa Marie prior to her death.
According to court documents obtained by Us Weekly, the plaintiffs accuse Priscilla of ignoring Lisa’s “clear directive to ‘prolong her life’” as part of an effort to “regain control” of Elvis’ estate.
She “knew that Lisa was in the process of taking steps to remove her as the sole trustee of Lisa’s irrevocable life insurance trust,” they allege, further claiming that Priscilla demanded that Kruse “issue a statement to the media” immediately following her daughter’s death “so she could control the narrative.”
Inside Riley Keough and Priscilla Presley’s Relationship After Estate Drama
Kruse and Fialko are seeking more than $50 million in damages, claiming fraud and breach of contract. They also allege that Priscilla falsely accused them of elder abuse in a smear campaign.
Priscilla’s attorney, Martin D. Singer, issued a statement to Entertainment Weekly on August 13, calling their complaint “one of the most shameful, ridiculous, salacious, and meritless lawsuits I have seen in my practice.”
Singer told the outlet, “This is nothing more than a sad and vicious attempt to falsely tarnish the reputation of an eighty year old woman in blatant retaliation” for Priscilla’s previous lawsuit targeting Kruse and Fialko.
