Full Breakdown
Priscilla Presley Reflects on the Loss of Daughter Lisa Marie Presley
9/18/2025, 8:41:09 PM
The Heartbreaking Loss of Lisa Marie Presley
Priscilla Presley has publicly shared her profound grief following the death of her daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, who passed away on January 12, 2023, at the age of 54. Lisa Marie's death was attributed to complications from a small bowel obstruction, a condition that developed after she underwent bariatric surgery. In a recent interview with People magazine, Priscilla described the day of her daughter's hospitalization, recalling how Lisa Marie was found unresponsive by her ex-husband, Danny Keough, at their home in Los Angeles. Priscilla recounted, “We were there all day long. Lisa really wasn’t breathing, so she was on the ventilator. For hours we were there waiting, hoping and praying until the doctor came in and said, ‘Priscilla, I’m so sorry, she’s gone.’”
A Mother's Painful Decision
In her upcoming memoir, *Softly, As I Leave You: Life After Elvis*, Priscilla detailed the harrowing moment she had to make the decision to take Lisa Marie off life support. She described entering the hospital room and immediately sensing that her daughter was already gone, stating, “She was hooked to a machine that was breathing for her, and she had a heartbeat. There was little brain activity. Her spirit, always so vital, wasn’t there.” After doctors revived Lisa Marie's heart but indicated there would be “no quality of life at all” if she remained on life support, Priscilla made the heart-wrenching choice to disconnect her daughter from the machines. “I said what I had to. ‘Take her off the machine, Doctor.’ My voice was barely above a whisper,” she recalled.
The Weight of Grief and Family Tragedies
Priscilla's grief is compounded by a history of family tragedies, including the suicide of her grandson, Benjamin Keough, in 2020. Reflecting on her losses, she stated, “It hasn’t been easy at all. But you have to find strength.” Despite the pain, Priscilla finds solace in her family, noting that her son, Navarone Garibaldi, has overcome drug addiction and is now in a good place. She also expressed joy in being a great-grandmother to Riley Keough's two children, saying, “That’s what makes me happy: knowing everyone is doing well.”
Official Statements & Responses
In her interview, Priscilla emphasized the ongoing difficulty of coping with Lisa Marie's death, calling it “the second saddest day of my life, other than losing Elvis.” She has faced public scrutiny and legal challenges, including a lawsuit from former business partners alleging she manipulated circumstances surrounding Lisa Marie's death to gain control over her trust and Graceland. Priscilla's attorney dismissed the lawsuit as “one of the most shameful, ridiculous, salacious, and meritless” claims he had ever seen.
Verbatim Quotes
- “It was the second saddest day of my life, other than losing Elvis,” — Priscilla Presley
- “She wrote: “I knew from the first moment I walked into Lisa’s hospital room that she was already gone.” — Priscilla Presley
- “What kind of life will she have if we keep her on that machine?” — Priscilla Presley
- “It hasn’t been easy at all. But you have to find strength.” — Priscilla Presley
Priscilla Presley's memoir, *Softly, As I Leave You: Life After Elvis*, is set to be released on September 23, 2025, and aims to honor her daughter's memory while sharing the intimate details of their final moments together.
