Actress Priscilla Presley is opening up about the way grief has reshaped her family. During a speaking event at the Westgate in Las Vegas on May 2, the 80-year-old said she does not see her granddaughters as often as she once did after the death of daughter Lisa Marie Presley in 2023. According to Page Six, Priscilla said the family used to gather regularly for meals and time together, but that rhythm changed in the years after the loss. Her remarks pointed to a quieter, more fragmented chapter for the Presley family.
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“I Was Never Pushy”
Priscilla Presley Says Family Life Feels Different
Priscilla described a sense of distance, even while stressing that love remains. "It’s kind of separated us in a way," said Priscilla according to Page Six. She explained that family gatherings once felt routine, with shared meals and steady contact. Now, Lisa Marie’s youngest daughters, 17-year-old twins Harper and Finley Lockwood, are growing up and focusing on their own lives. Priscilla said they have their boyfriends and "do their thing," a change that has naturally shifted how often the family spends time together.
Navarone Garibaldi Points to Benjamin Keough's Death
Musician Navarone Garibaldi, Priscilla’s son with former partner Marco Garibaldi, stepped in during the conversation and offered a different view of when the distance began. He said the first major break came after the 2020 death of Benjamin Keough, Lisa Marie’s son, who died at 27. "I think actually losing Ben was the first thing that separated us," said Garibaldi. He added that grief affected each person differently, and that blame and pain pushed relatives further apart instead of bringing them closer in that period.
Lisa Marie Presley Left Behind Four Children
Lisa Marie Presley, who died in January 2023 at 54, was the mother of four children. She shared Riley Keough and Benjamin Keough with ex-husband Danny Keough, and twins Harper and Finley with ex-husband Michael Lockwood. Her death was later attributed to a small bowel obstruction. In the years surrounding those losses, the family also faced public strain beyond private grief. The personal pain inside the Presley circle became harder to separate from legal and estate matters that followed, adding another layer to an already difficult time.
Riley Keough Took Over Graceland After Dispute
After Lisa Marie’s death, a legal dispute emerged over control of Graceland. Riley Keough was ultimately named sole trustee in August 2023 following a settlement with Priscilla. As reported by Vanity Fair, Riley later said, "When my mom passed, there was a lot of chaos in every aspect of our lives." She also described the aftermath as a moment when everything felt unstable and difficult to process. Despite that conflict, Priscilla later said Elvis would be proud of the resolution, framing the agreement as a family effort centered on Lisa Marie’s wishes.
