The medical cause of Lisa Marie Presley's death in 2023 at age 54 was "a small-bowel obstruction," per People. But her daughter, Riley Keough, says that her mom actually succumbed to something else. "My mom physically died from the after effects of her [bariatric] surgery, but we all knew she died of a broken heart."
Lisa Marie's son, Benjamin Keough, Riley's brother, took his own life four years ago at age 27. His dad was Lisa Marie's former husband, Danny Keough, to whom she remained close even after they divorced in 1994.
"My mom tried her best to find strength for me and my younger sisters after Ben died, but we knew how much pain she was in," Riley Keough reportedly told People. (Lisa Marie had twin daughters, Harper and Finley, with her fourth husband, Michael Lockwood.)
Benjamin's unexpected death was a terrible and unthinkable tragedy for the whole family. As Benjamin's devoted mother, Lisa Marie must have been suffering indescribably. In her book, per People, she mentions that she and Riley found a balm for their bereavement "by helping people."
Lisa Marie Presley Has A Posthumous Memoir That Is About To Be Published
It Was Completed By Riley Keough, Daughter Of Lisa Marie Presley
Riley is speaking out as the release of Lisa Marie's posthumous memoir, From Here to the Great Unknown, gets closer. The book is scheduled to come out on October 8. Riley completed the unfinished volume with the help of audiotapes that her mom had made.
Working On The Book Was Challenging For Riley
Revisiting painful memories as she worked on her late mom's book was apparently very hard for Riley. She told People that writing about Benjamin's suicide "was incredibly difficult...as was my mom's descent into addiction. And her own death, of course."
Riley described what she sees as the book's value to readers and its larger context. "I hope that in an extraordinary circumstance people relate to a very human experience of love, heartbreak, loss, addiction and family. [My mom] wanted to write a book in the hopes that someone could read her story and relate to her, to know that they're not alone in the world."
Riley has now truly fulfilled her mother's mission.
