In the upcoming posthumous memoir of Lisa Marie Presley, she discloses that she retained the body of her deceased son, Benjamin Keough, at her residence for a period of two months following his death in July 2020.
Benjamin, the grandchild of Elvis Presley, ended his own life at the age of 27. In the midst of immense grief, Presley opted to keep his body preserved on dry ice in a separate casita at her Calabasas, California home. California legislation does not enforce immediate interment, providing her the necessary time to bid farewell. “There is no law in the state of California that you have to bury someone immediately,” Presley stated in her memoir, “From Here to the Great Unknown.”
An understanding funeral home owner agreed to transport Benjamin’s body to Presley’s residence. Presley kept the room at 55 degrees Fahrenheit to sustain his body. She acknowledged that this decision might be perceived as unconventional by some, but she found it essential for her recovery process.
“I got so used to him being there,” Presley wrote. “I think it would scare the living [expletive] out of anybody else, but I was grateful to have the opportunity to spend time with him.”
During this phase, Presley and her daughter, Riley Keough, chose to get identical tattoos to honor Benjamin. The tattoo artist was invited to their house to view Benjamin’s tattoos for reference. “We wanted to get something that was meaningful,” Riley stated.
Presley wrestled with the decision of Benjamin’s final resting place, torn between Hawaii and Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee, where her father, Elvis Presley, lies. In the end, Benjamin was interred at Graceland, the first internment at the property in four decades.
The memoir also explores Presley’s battle with grief and addiction in the aftermath of her son’s death. Riley Keough expressed that Benjamin’s death “destroyed” her mother. “She was completely heartbroken, but she stayed sober for him,” Riley wrote.
On January 12, 2023, Lisa Marie Presley passed away at 54 years old due to complications following a previous weight loss surgery, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner. She was buried alongside Benjamin in Graceland’s Meditation Garden.
After her mother’s death, Riley Keough assumed the responsibility of finishing her mother’s memoir. She listened to recordings of Presley’s reminiscences, which encompassed memories of life at Graceland, her relationship with her parents, and her marriages to Michael Jackson and Nicolas Cage.
The memoir seeks to bring light to Presley’s experiences with love, loss, and resilience. It also highlights the significance of open discussions about mental health and addiction.