Riley Keough reflects fondly on the time when her mother, Lisa Marie Presley, tied the knot with Michael Jackson. During her recent appearance on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast on Wednesday, the actress was inquisitively probed about how her life might have diverged had Presley's marriage to Jackson, amidst his towering fame, transpired differently. Presley's union with Jackson lasted from 1994 to 1996, subsequent to her separation from Keough's father, Danny Keough. Presley and Danny Keough shared parenthood with Riley and her late brother Benjamin, who tragically ended his life in 2020.
"Our life wasn't any wilder because the chaos—the relentless press and paparazzi—was already an established part of our reality," Keough recounted to host Alex Cooper. "But when my mom witnessed Michael's lifestyle, she noticed the perks he had that she lacked. At that time, she didn't possess things like a private jet, and so she thought, 'Oh, I should have a jet too, and all of those other things.' Consequently, our life escalated in scale because before then, she was with my dad, and their life was marked by simplicity, especially at home. She didn't have a retinue of assistants or all that entourage; it was quite the transformation."
Recalling the most lavish gesture Jackson bestowed upon her and her late brother, Keough reminisced about instances where Jackson arranged for privacy by clearing out venues for them. "There were numerous times where places were shut down for us. It became somewhat of a necessity for our family to do things discreetly, whether it was visiting a toy store or riding amusement rides. I'm unsure if it was solely for our sake or due to our unique family circumstances where we'd have to shut down entire stores, but one unforgettable experience in London stands out. My brother and I had the entire toy store at our mercy, roaming from floor to floor, filling up our carts. That's the first thing that pops into my mind, but I'm not certain if it was exclusively arranged for us or just how our life unfolded at that time."
Prior to Presley's marriage to Jackson, the King of Pop was enveloped in allegations of abuse and child molestation. Yet, Keough reveals that she was blissfully unaware of these accusations during that period. "I was never privy to any of that. It's not something I ever inquired about as an adult," she admitted. "I suppose it was just a facet of life that never crossed my mind." Despite being accused of sexually abusing minors in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Jackson never faced conviction. He passed away in 2009 at the age of 50.
Although oblivious to the allegations, Keough speculated, "I would imagine my dad was deeply devastated and probably expressed his thoughts to my mom in ways we never knew." She continued, "Our parents adhered to a parenting philosophy where we were shielded from their disputes. We were never exposed to anything negative or contentious around us. We were unaware of any allegations. We had no clue. It was beyond our realm of awareness."
Delving deeper into Presley and Jackson's relationship, Keough emphasized, "One thing I am certain of is that they were deeply in love, and their affection for each other was authentic. I was there to witness it; I remember. Anything else, I remain ignorant about because I wasn't a part of it."
In an interview for "An Oprah Special: The Presleys – Elvis, Lisa Marie, and Riley," Keough previously stated, "I can only speak from my personal experience with Michael, and that experience was one of kindness and affection towards me and my family. I saw them in a seemingly joyful and deeply loving relationship."
Presley tragically passed away on January 12, 2023, due to cardiac arrest at the age of 54. Prior to her demise, Presley had embarked on writing a memoir. Keough completed the posthumous tome by listening to countless hours of tapes her mother had recorded for the book. "From Here to the Great Unknown" is now available.
