Riley Keogh has vivid memories of her childhood hiding on the second floor of her grandfather’s palatial home, waiting for tourists to leave.
For those who can’t tell you her name, Keough is the eldest daughter of the late legendary King of Rock, Elvis Presley, and the daughter of his only child, the late Lisa Marie.
Like his mother, Keough was destined for the spotlight because of his Presley lineage. She reportedly finds it both comfortable and uncomfortable.
A hard-working actor and singer, she lives happily at home with her husband and child.
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Riley Keough is Elvis Presley’s oldest grandchild and a Hollywood star in her own right. (Instagram)
She was born in Santa Monica, California in 1992 as the eldest child of parents Lisa, a former singer and businessman, and Danny, a musician.
She landed her first People magazine cover story when she was just a few days old. The magazine ran the headline, “Elvis’s first grandchild, here she is!”
Keough was only five years old when his parents separated.
Growing up, she divided her time between her mother’s famous Graceland mansion and her father’s more modest residence.
Graceland was Elvis’ former home and resting place. More than 600,000 visitors visit some of the private lands each year.
Keogh said in 2023, “The tour started in the morning and I hid upstairs until it ended. A security guard brought me breakfast.”
Riley, pictured with her parents Lisa Marie Presley and Danny Keogh, appeared on the cover of People magazine as a newborn. (Instagram)
Daisy Jones and Six Star know about her unique childhood.
“I had a very privileged upbringing with my mother,” she told the Guardian in 2017.
“But my dad didn’t live that way, and I think it helped that he lived in both places. He had mattresses on the floor of his apartment. He lived in cabins and trailer parks. But I didn’t have much money.”
She remained naive, unfazed by the obvious difference between her parents’ reality. When she was eight years old, she told her father, “When I grow up, I want to be poor like you.”
The promise Elvis made to Priscilla’s father before they married
He recalled that he was eating a bowl of cereal at the time and had no idea how offensive her comments were.
By the age of 12, Keogh had a small idea of what her future career would be.
At the time, she had seen Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 film Moulin Rouge and was captivated by Australian actress Nicole Kidman’s performance.
“I thought, ‘Wow, I want to be Nicole Kidman, she makes me feel so sad,'” she said.
Seeing Nicole Kidman in Moulin Rouge made Riley want to become an actress. (GC image)
“I remember thinking how fulfilling it would be to be able to do that. That’s a big concept for kids.”
Before becoming an actor, Keough was a model. She was walking the runway by the time she was 14.
A year later, she appeared on the cover of Vogue with her mother and grandmother Priscilla Presley.
At the time, Keogh was known by his real name, Daniel. Since then, she started using her middle name and nickname Riley in her professional work.
She landed her first acting role in 2010. It was a coming-of-age movie about the Runaways, an all-female band from the ’70s. Starring Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning.
Presley family tree. (Polly Hanning/9Honey)
Keough’s career blossomed after he sent in a self-recorded audition for a role in Steven Soderbergh’s 2012 film Magic Mike.
In just four years, she booked 13 film and television projects, including two with American directors.
One of her projects was the physiological television drama “The Girlfriend Experience,” for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award.
Keogh is a self-admitted workaholic. I believe she was born with it.
“I think we’re half nature, half nurture. I’ve always been a punctual, hardworking, want-to-do kind of person. My upbringing was very different from that. ” she told Vanity Fair.
Riley’s mother, Lisa Marie Presley, passed away in January 2023 due to complications following surgery. (Getty Images for ELLE)
“I had a very irregular schedule. Sometimes I would go to school, sometimes I wouldn’t. It was what I was used to, so I didn’t feel like it was what I wanted. During my teenage years and childhood.
“I’m definitely an adventurous and spontaneous person, but I also value routine. My parents told me that when I was young, I was very organized and tried to make things happen. .”
It means the 35-year-old celebrity has lived out her own personal tragedy in public.
Although she was not born when her grandfather died, she is forced to endure the fear of the spotlight after the deaths of her older brother Benjamin and her mother.
Lisa Marie Presley’s daughter shares last photo
Benjamin committed suicide in 2020 at the age of 27. Her mother died three years later from complications from bariatric surgery. She was 54 years old.
“My mother died physically from the after-effects of the surgery, but we all knew she died of a broken heart,” Keogh told People in September of this year.
After her mother’s death, Keogh became the sole trustee of Lisa Marie’s estate. Before her mother passed away, she helped her complete her memory.
Lisa Marie’s death sparked a long legal dispute with her grandmother over the family’s assets. The two parties reached a settlement in May 2023.
Lisa Marie’s death sparked a legal dispute between Riley and her grandmother, Prescilla Presley. (Getty)
“My family has resolved all confusion related to court petitions and requests for document interpretation following the untimely death of our daughter Lisa Marie,” Priscilla said in a statement to People after the settlement. .
“Although some media outlets have labeled such a petition as a lawsuit, I would like to clarify that no lawsuit was ever filed against my beloved granddaughter.
“As a family, we are glad that we were able to resolve this issue together. My family and I want to give Lisa Marie the privacy we need to properly grieve and spend some personal time together.” We love and appreciate you and all of Presley.” Our family is stronger than ever. ”
As for whether his relationship with his grandmother was happy after months of speculation about tensions, Keogh said at the time: “I think my relationship with my grandmother is happy. I’ve never been unhappy.” .
Keogh’s life was not all tragedy. Since 2015, she has been married to the man she calls her soulmate, Australian stuntman Ben Smith-Petersen.
Riley and Australian stuntman Ben Smith-Petersen married in 2015. (Instagram)
The pair met on the set of Mad Max: Fury Road in 2012 and were engaged by 2014.
“I can’t see the future, but I do know that something is going to happen,” she said. Daisy Jones and the Six.
“Like when I met my husband, when he came out of the gas station on our second date, I thought, ‘I’m going to marry him and have kids with him.’ We hadn’t even said “I love you” yet.
The couple gave birth to their first child, a daughter, Tupelo, in 2022 through a surrogate mother.
Tupelo was named after his great-grandfather’s birthplace.
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