With her decision to challenge a change to Lisa Marie's will that gave Riley Keough control over her estate, including Graceland, it appears that Priscilla Presley is on track to alienate her granddaughter, Riley Keough, in addition to her daughter Lisa Marie Presley, from whom it has been reported that Priscilla was estranged for the final eight years of Lisa Marie's life.
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Amid their ongoing conflict over Lisa Marie Presley's trust, Priscilla Presley and Riley Keough are at odds. A source tells ET, Riley, and Priscilla have experienced "a very tense and heartbreaking few weeks" as they grieve the passing of Lisa Marie.
The source revealed;
"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,"
While "they are both preparing for court," the source continues, Riley "would prefer to settle this dispute privately."
However, Riley is stressed out over the fact that the issue has become a public one, but thankfully, she has other things to get her distracted in the time being, like her new series.
"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 big Daisy Jones & The Six premiere.
"Her daughter and husband have been keeping her in good spirits."
When it comes to her late daughter's trust, the family matriarch, according to the source, is acting in a way that she "feels right in her heart."
The source continues;
"She is convinced that old documents had been forged."
After Lisa Marie Presley passed away on Jan. 12, her representative told ET that Riley, 33, and the twins, Harper and Finley, 14, would inherit Graceland, the former home of their father, Elvis Presley.
Later, it was discovered that Riley and Lisa Marie's son Benjamin, who passed away in July 2020, had been named as co-trustees of Lisa Marie's trust in 2016. Riley's appointment is being disputed by Priscilla, who says that "there are many issues surrounding" it.
Unlike what Priscilla believes, Joel Weinshanker, a managing partner at Elvis Presley Enterprises, spoke out in favor of Riley keeping her trustee position following Lisa Marie's passing despite the legal dispute.
During an appearance on Elvis Radio on SiriusXM, he said;
"When Elvis passed away, he left everything to his little girl. He did so knowing that she would be the one to keep his legacy going,"
"I can tell you that [Lisa Marie] has, without falter, no matter what else was happening in her life, in her career, always been the one to look at what was best for Elvis... regardless of what somebody else was trying to do, regardless of what another family member [was trying to] do."
Joel continued;
"We just want to think about what Lisa would've wanted and that's what's best for Elvis. She never had a doubt in her mind that that's Riley," Joel added. "There's no question on anyone's mind [because] Lisa had spoken [about] it, there's numerous amounts of written information, she had talked to so many of her friends about it."
Joel also claimed that there was never a question and that anyone who claims otherwise isn't looking out for Elvis, Lisa, or, most definitely, Riley.
Priscilla addressed the matter in a statement she gave ET earlier this month. But as she says, we can't help but think that she's subtly refuting Joel's assertions.
"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 continued without identifying the person to whom she was referring.
Pricilla added that they would figure it out eventually; they needed more time.
The late singer's mother continues;
"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."
While the legal issue has generated a lot of reactions since it first came out, fans have wondered what the wife to the late singer stands to gain from contesting Lisa Marie's trust.
However, ET recently revealed they seek the expertise of an entertainment Lawyer Mitra Ahouraian, who talked about the legal filing.
According to the lawyer, she thinks the primary reason Priscilla wants to control is to protect the children's interests, as Riley still has two younger siblings aged 14.
The lawyer adds that;
"There is a 35 million dollar life insurance policy that would be to the benefit of the children, and that's a lot of money that can easily go away very quickly if it's not being managed properly."
She also adds that Priscilla doesn't stand to gain financially substantially by serving as the trustee.
