Riley Keough Opens Up About the Presley Family Curse as the Sole Heir of Graceland
"I think the word 'curse' is used because my family are looked at as this 'not real' mythology."
Riley Keough has opened up about the so-called Presley family curse and how it feels to be the sole heir of Graceland.
Keough discussed her famous family while promoting her late mother Lisa Marie Presley's memoir, From Here to the Great Unknown, at the Los Angeles stop of her book tour. The Zola actress stepped in to finish the memoir when her mom suddenly died in January 2023, prior to completing the project.
Speaking with moderator Taylor Jenkins Reid, Keough explained (via People), "I get asked a lot on this book tour, 'How did I avoid the curse of the Presleys?' And it's such a weird question." She continued, "I think the word 'curse' is used because my family are looked at as this 'not real' mythology or something, but really it's just very common things, like addiction."
In 2023, it was ruled that Keough's mom, Lisa Marie, died due to complications after bariatric surgery. In From Here to the Great Unknown, it was also revealed that Lisa Marie experienced drug addiction during her life.
Elvis Presley at Graceland circa 1957.
Keough's grandfather, Elvis, died from a heart condition, and "extremely high levels of the opiates Dilaudid, Percodan, Demerol and codeine, as well as Quaaludes" were found in his blood at the time of his death, Today reported. Keough's brother, Benjamin Keough, died due to suicide in July 2020 after reportedly dealing with alcoholism and drug addiction.
"Everyone in here has loved somebody with addiction issues or has lost somebody tragically," the Daisy Jones and the Six star explained. "I mean, the hope is that the future generations of our family aren't going to struggle so much with addiction. Of course, that's the dream."
Following her mother's death, Keough became the sole heir of Graceland, Elvis' palatial estate. "It's funny because I spent a lot of my life and career actually living in a world where that wasn't at the forefront," Keough said of the property.
After her mom died, Keough found herself thrown into the spotlight when it came to Graceland, but she was already heavily involved in decision-making regarding the property. "I was very involved in it already," she explained. "So it wasn't like, 'Whoa, what is this new thing?' My mom would come to me with everything." Keough continued, "That wasn't a new thing basically, I would say—but I'd say the attention on it was new."
