In an emotional revelation, Riley Keough, daughter of Lisa Marie Presley and granddaughter of Elvis Presley, shared a chilling detail about her mother's sense of impending loss. During an exclusive interview with Oprah Winfrey, Keough revealed that Lisa Marie had a "sixth sense" about her father's death on the night she said goodnight to him for the last time. This appearance marked Keough's first in-depth interview since the death of her mother, Lisa Marie.
Elvis Presley, the King of Rock and Roll, died unexpectedly in August 1977 at his Graceland estate at the age of 42. While the world was devastated by the sudden loss, Lisa Marie, who was just nine years old at the time, had a feeling that her father's days were numbered.
© Magma AgencyRiley Keough, now 35, spoke candidly with Oprah about this eerie sense her mother had during their discussion about her family, her life, and Lisa Marie's forthcoming memoir titled "From Here to the Great Unknown." The book, which Keough helped finalize after her mother's unexpected death on January 12, 2023, was based on audio tapes Lisa Marie left behind.
Speaking from the iconic Graceland mansion for "An Oprah Special: The Presleys — Elvis, Lisa Marie, and Riley," Keough recounted her mother's instincts about the tragic day Elvis passed. Oprah, 70, gently prompted the conversation, saying, "The morning of Elvis' death your mother woke up and knew instinctively that something was off. You want to tell us about that? She's 9 years old and most of us remember when we were 9 years old."
Keough responded, "Yeah, definitely. I think this is the first time she's ever talked in detail about his death in the book. She said goodnight to him and I think she knew saying 'goodnight': like she had some kind of a sense — I think she had a sense many times that he wasn't OK."
© BettmannThe actress explained that Lisa Marie often worried about her father's health. "She would tell me that sometimes she would find him in his bathroom looking kind of out of it or holding onto the railing to stand up straight," she shared, referencing moments that showed Elvis was struggling in private.
In a heartbreaking moment, Keough also unveiled a letter Lisa Marie had written as a child, expressing her fear of losing her father. "She also wrote these letters when she was little that we have kind of saying, 'I hope my daddy doesn't die,'" Keough told Oprah.
© Amari Kenoly/Nirav PatelOne of these letters was shown during the interview. It read, "I love my mommy and daddy and I hope you gis [sic] don't die." Keough confirmed that despite the chaos of life at Graceland, Lisa Marie's relationship with her father was intimate and private. "But upstairs was only her and her dad. I think she got a lot of intimate time up there with him. No one else was up there," she explained.
"An Oprah Special: The Presleys—Elvis, Lisa Marie, and Riley" will air on CBS on Tuesday, October 8, at 8 p.m. EST. It will offer more insight into the Presley family's legacy and the close bond Lisa Marie shared with her legendary father.
