Amidst the emotional turmoil of bidding farewell to her beloved mother, Lisa Marie Presley, in the chilly month of January, Riley Keough and her husband, Ben Smith-Petersen, revealed a heartwarming secret - they had welcomed a daughter into their lives. Smith-Petersen broke the news while delivering a heartfelt tribute written by his wife in honor of her mother during Lisa Marie's Jan. 22 memorial service at the iconic Graceland.
"I pray that I may love my daughter with the same depth and fervor as you loved me, as you nurtured my brother and my sisters," Smith-Petersen recited, his voice trembling with emotion. "Thank you for gifting me strength, compassion, courage, humor, manners, temperament, wild spirit, and perseverance. I am a living testament to the love in your heart, as are my sisters and my brother." As he spoke, Keough sat in the front row, tears streaming down her cheeks, lost in the memory of her mother.
Keough and Smith-Petersen's journey began on the bustling set of "Mad Max: Fury Road" in 2012, where their paths crossed for the first time. Sparks flew, and their friendship quickly blossomed into a romantic relationship in 2013. The couple got engaged in 2014, sealing their love with a promise of forever. In 2015, they tied the knot in two beautiful ceremonies, one in the serene mountains of Nepal and the other in the picturesque Napa Valley, California. Their union, now blessed with a daughter, is a testament to the power of love and the beauty of family.
In May 2022, Keough penned a heartfelt essay for Vogue Australia, delving into her profound bond with Smith-Petersen. She revealed the moment she knew their future was intertwined, merely a week into their budding romance. "Our journey began with a casual trip to a gas station, seeking chips and filling up the car's tank," she reminisced about one of their early outings. "We were young and free, he at 22, I at 24, enjoying a cup of coffee and smoking cigarettes with no worries in sight." She continued, "As he emerged from the gas station, a powerful feeling overcame me. It was as if I heard a voice whispering, 'That's the father of your children.' It was surreal, considering we had only been together for a week."
In a candid conversation with Interview magazine, published on March 29, Keough announced that she had embarked on a new chapter as a mother in 2022. Then, in an interview with Vanity Fair on August 8, she offered a glimpse into her life as a mother, revealing the precious name of her daughter with Smith-Petersen. Below, let's delve into the enchanting world of Keough's only child.
Keough's daughter, Tupelo Storm Smith-Petersen, carries a name that holds deep significance for the family. Her first name, Tupelo, is a nod to her illustrious ancestry, as it was the birthplace of her great-grandfather, the legendary Elvis Presley. Keough revealed to Vanity Fair that the choice of her daughter's name preceded the release of the 2022 film "Elvis," stating, "It's funny because we picked her name before the Elvis movie. I was like, 'This is great because it's not really a well-known word or name in relation to my family — it's not like Memphis or something.'" However, she humorously admitted, "Then when the Elvis movie came out, it was like, Tupelo this and Tupelo that. I was like, 'Oh, no.' But it's fine."
Tupelo's middle name, Storm, is a heartfelt tribute to Keough's late brother, Benjamin Storm Keough, who passed away in 2020. According to Vanity Fair, Tupelo arrived in August 2022 through the loving hands of a surrogate mother. Speaking about her newfound role as a mother, Keough expressed her aspirations, saying, "This is the thing in my life so far that I have really wanted to, quote-unquote, get right. I don't think you ever can be a perfect parent, but I would like to be the best mom for her that I can be. That's...very important to me." Her words reveal a mother's determination to provide her child with the best possible love and care, even if perfection is an unattainable goal.
