In her forthcoming posthumous memoir, Lisa Marie Presley, reveals that she kept the body of her late son, Benjamin Keough, at her home for two months following his death in July 2020.
Benjamin, the grandson of Elvis Presley, died by suicide at the age of 27. Struggling with profound grief, Presley chose to keep his body on dry ice in a separate casita at her Calabasas residence. California law does not require immediate burial, allowing her the time she needed to say goodbye. “There is no law in the state of California that you have to bury someone immediately,” Presley wrote in her memoir, “From Here to the Great Unknown.”
Presley found a compassionate funeral home owner who agreed to bring Benjamin’s body to Presley’s home. She maintained the room at 55 degrees Fahrenheit to preserve his body. While she acknowledged that keeping his body at home might seem unusual to others, she felt it was necessary for her healing 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 period, Presley and her daughter, Riley Keough, decided to get matching tattoos in honor of Benjamin. The tattoo artist was invited to their home to view Benjamin’s tattoos for reference. “We wanted to get something that was meaningful,” Riley said.
Presley grappled with the decision of where to lay her son to rest, torn between Hawaii and Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee, where her father, Elvis Presley, is buried. Ultimately, Benjamin was buried at Graceland, marking the first burial at the estate in 40 years.
The memoir also delves into Presley’s struggle with grief and addiction following her son’s death. According to Riley Keough, Benjamin’s passing “destroyed” her mother. “She was completely heartbroken, but she stayed sober for him,” Riley wrote.
Lisa Marie Presley died on January 12, 2023 at the age of 54 due to complications from prior weight loss surgery, as reported by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner. She was laid to rest next to Benjamin at Graceland’s Meditation Garden.
Riley Keough took on the responsibility of completing her mother’s memoir after her passing. She listened to recordings of Presley’s recollections, which included memories of life at Graceland, her relationship with her parents, and her marriages to Michael Jackson and Nicolas Cage.
The memoir aims to shed light on Presley’s experiences with love, loss, and resilience. It also addresses the importance of open conversations about mental health and addiction.
