It has been a very tense and heartbreaking few weeks for Riley Keough and her grandmother, Priscilla Presley, as the duo battle over Lisa Marie Presley’s will. Sadly, things have worsened between the pair as reports have revealed that they are no longer on speaking terms. Here are the details.
Priscilla And Riley Are Not Speaking To Each Other
On February 17, a source opened up about the ongoing battle in the Presley family. The insider revealed to ET that Priscilla and Riley’s relationship had strained further, and the pair were not communicating anymore.
Riley Is Heartbroken
According to the source, Riley had been mourning the loss of her mother and was heartbroken about having a trust dispute with a family member. The insider further noted that Priscilla was certain she had a valid case and would win in court.
Priscilla And Riley Prepare For Heated Court Battle
Meanwhile, chances that Priscilla and Riley will settle the dispute privately are growing slimmer as the source told the outlet that the pair were getting “geared up” for a bitter court battle.
Riley Is Not Happy About The Feud
However, Riley was heartbroken that the situation had escalated as she was certain Lisa would not have wanted it. The source said Riley was stressed, having buried her mom and brother, and was trying to keep a positive attitude.
When Did It All Begin?
Priscilla and Riley’s battle began shortly after Lisa died from cardiac arrest on January 12, 2023. It was revealed that the singer’s estate would go to her three daughters after her demise.
Riley And Benjamin Named Co-Trustees
It later came to light that Riley and her late brother, Benjamin — who died in July 2020 — were named co-trustees of Lisa’s trust in 2016, with Priscilla completely removed from the will. However, the revelation didn’t sit right with Priscilla.
Priscilla Challenges The Amendment
The actress began to argue against the credibility and validity of the amendment. Priscilla maintained that Lisa’s signature on the seven-year-old document appeared inconsistent.
Inside Priscilla’s Claims
Priscilla also claimed that the amendment was never delivered to her, her name was misspelled, and she had suspicions about the document’s date. So, the actress filed the necessary legal documents to challenge the amendment.
Joel Weinshanker Airs His Thoughts
Meanwhile, Joel Weinshanker, a managing partner at Elvis Presley Enterprise, has shared his thoughts on the ongoing feud. During a chat on SiriusXM’s Elvis Radio , Joel insisted that it was always Riley and Benjamin.
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It Was Always Riley And Benjamin
According to him, there was never a question in Lisa’s mind that the pair would be “stewards” and would look at it the way she did. Joel then explained that it was in Riley’s court when Benjamin died, and she knew she would be running the trust.
Riley Was Always Interested
Joel mentioned that although the Mad Max: Fury star was already a movie star and an award-winning director, she was still interested and bore it in mind that she would be in charge one day.
Why Did Joel Speak Out?
Next, Joel addressed his decision to air his thoughts. He confessed that he was speaking out because, sometimes, it was important to take a stand. According to him, when Elvis Presley died, he left everything to little Lisa.
Lisa Kept Her Father’s Legacy Alive
To Joel, Elvis chose to give his daughter everything because he knew she would be the one to keep his legacy going. Joel said Lisa excelled at keeping her dad’s legacy alive many years after Elvis’s demise.
Lisa Didn’t Care About Anything Else
The late You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet singer cared for the trust irrespective of what anybody else, including other family members, was trying to do. Overall, it is sad to see Priscilla and Riley in such a feud.
Priscilla Speaks About The Situation
Earlier this month, Priscilla spoke candidly about the situation with her granddaughter. In a statement, the actress said she loved her late husband very much, just as he loved her, and Lisa was a product of that love.
Details Of Her Statement
Priscilla said that anyone thinking anything differently would be a travesty of the family legacy and highly disrespectful to what Elvis left behind in his life.
Priscilla Speaks About An ‘Intruder’
Next, Priscilla mentioned that an individual bought their way into the family enterprise and was trying to speak on behalf of the Presley family. Priscilla insisted the person was not a representative of Elvis or the family though she didn’t reveal their identity.
Priscilla Asks For Time
She then asked that the family be given some time to work together and sort everything out, after which she pleaded for everyone to ignore the noise.
Priscilla’s Final Words
In her concluding words, Priscilla said she had always been there for Elvis’s legacy, and she will continue to forge a pathway forward with love, respect, honesty, dignity, and integrity. Fans remain hopeful that Priscilla and Riley will sort out their differences.
