Priscilla Presley honors Lisa Marie Presley’s 55th birthday

Celebrating her late daughter Lisa Marie Presley’s 55th birthday, Priscilla Presley says she’s trying to keep her family together.

“Today would have been Lisa’s 55th birthday. My desire is to protect my three grandchildren and keep our family together,” the 77-year-old ex-wife of legendary singer Elvis Presley said in a statement provided to the Times on Wednesday.

“From the moment I held Lisa in my arms, I have protected, loved and guided her as I have my son,” the Dallas veteran said in a statement. “Our hearts are broken and I must learn to live without my only daughter. We really love you all and we feel your prayers. Thank you for looking after our family so much.”

Priscilla, who was married to Elvis from 1967 to 1973, later had son Navarone Garibaldi with producer Marco Garibaldi.

The matriarch’s comments come days after she filed a petition to challenge the will of her daughter, who died in January. The will states that Lisa Marie’s trust property – which includes Elvis’ Graceland property and 15% ownership of his estate – will be left to Lisa Marie’s children.

Priscilla filed the petition in Los Angeles Superior Court last Thursday, questioning the “authenticity and validity” of her daughter’s will and challenging a 2016 amendment to Lisa Marie’s documents that allegedly changed Priscilla and her former manager Removed Barry Siegel as trustee. Lisa Marie replaced her with her eldest children, actor Riley Keough, 33, and Benjamin Keough – who died in 2020 at the age of 27.

Priscilla is currently co-trustee with Siegel of Lisa Marie’s estate and is trying to keep it that way – despite the 2016 change allegedly naming Riley and Benjamin Keough as sole trustees in the event of their mother’s death.

The petition alleges that the amendment “allegedly signed by Lisa Marie Presley” misspells her mother’s name and includes a signature that “seems inconsistent with.” [Lisa Marie Presley’s] customary and customary signature.” Priscilla also claims that the 2016 amendment was never served on her during her daughter’s lifetime “as required by the express terms of the trust” and that the document was never witnessed or notarized.

Additionally, the filing states that Priscilla believes Siegel “has already resigned or will resign soon” as co-trustee – in which case Riley Keough would be appointed co-trustee with Priscilla.

Lisa Marie’s children – including her 14-year-old twin daughters Harper and Finley with ex-husband Michael Lockwood – have yet to publicly comment on Priscilla’s file. A representative for Riley Keough did not immediately respond to The Times request for comment on Wednesday.

The document was filed less than a week after the Presley family gathered for a public memorial service at Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee. The ceremony was attended by musicians Billy Corgan, Alanis Morissette and Axl Rose, as well as Priscilla, who read a poem written by one of her granddaughters. The ceremony was streamed live on Vimeo and can still be viewed on the platform.

Joel Weinshanker – the managing partner of Elvis Presley Enterprises, the company founded by the Elvis Presley Trust and once owned by Lisa Marie – also attended the memorial service. On Wednesday he appeared on Elvis Radio on SiriusXM to also celebrate Lisa Marie’s 55th birthday. He reiterated Lisa Marie’s stance on leaving the property to her children to best protect Elvis’ legacy.

“Everyone knew that when Elvis died, he left everything to his little daughter. And he did so knowing that she would be the one to keep his legacy going,” Weinshanker said. “And I can tell you that – without hesitation, no matter what else has happened in her life, in her career – she always has been the one Looking out for what’s best for Elvis.

“Lisa was not for sale. She didn’t let herself be pushed. If she felt that something wasn’t in Elvis’ interest, it was never about money. And she’s really the only Presley you can ever say that about,” he continued. “And she was also very, very, very sure and very direct about who she wanted to give the legacy to [left] to… and it was always Riley and Ben. For them it was never a question that they would be the stewards, that they would see it the same way they did.”

Christi Carras, a Times contributor, contributed to this report.