Priscilla Presley legal action: why is Lisa Marie will being challenged, what has Elvis Presley’s ex-wife said

Priscilla Presley has filed a legal challenge over the “validity” of her daughter, Lisa Marie’s will.

Elvis Presley’s ex-wife is disputing changes made to the will in 2016 which saw her removed as a trustee to her daughter’s Living Trust.

Lisa Marie, the only child of Elvis and Priscilla died on 12 January aged 54-years-old. She was laid to rest in her father’s Graceland estate in Memphis, Tennessee on 22 January. A cause of death has not yet been given by the Los Angeles county coroner.

So, why is Priscilla Presley challenging her daughter’s will? Here’s everything you need to know.

Why is she challenging Lisa Marie Presley’s will?

Priscilla is challenging her daughter’s will after she learned of a “purported 2016 amendment” to her daughter’s living trust that was made in 2016.

It removed both her and Lisa Marie’s former business manager Barry Siegel from the estate as a trustees and replaced them with her two oldest children, Riley Keough and Benjamin Keough.

Benjamin passed away in 2020 at the age of 27, whilst his sister Riley is an actress who will star in the upcoming Amazon Prime Video series “Daisy Jones & The Six”.

Reported by the BBC, Priscilla is challenging the amendment which she argues was never sent to her during her daughter’s lifetime, which is a requirement of the will.

Her lawyers have claimed that there were “many issues surrounding the authenticity and validity”. They have also argued that the amendment “misspells her mother’s name” and that Lisa Marie’s signature “appears inconsistent with her usual and customary signature.”

The petition reads: “Based on the foregoing, the Purported 2016 Amendment should be deemed invalid and the Trust, as amended and completely restated in 2010 is the controlling and authoritative document and its terms administered.”

However, reported in People, a close friend of Lisa Marie claims she had wanted her children to inherit her trust, sharing that “Lisa really didn’t feel that Priscilla was doing anything in her best interest.” She also states that when the amendment was made she “did not have a relationship” with her mother.

The legal action comes just one week after Lisa Marie was laid to rest in a ceremony at her father’s estate in Graceland, Memphis, Tennessee. Her memorial service was held on the front lawn with Priscilla and Reiley sharing emotional tributes. Celebrities attending included John Travolta, Pink, her ex-husband Nicolas Cage and Axl Rose.

What is a living trust?

Lisa Marie had a living trust, which is a type of legal arrangement that allows a person to control their assets whilst they are alive and will also distribute them after they die. According to Free Will, “A living trust ‘owns’ the property you put into it, while often still letting you control the trust assets.”

It requires regular monitoring and updating, with Free Will advising you should “revisit it every three to five years to keep it up to date.”

What has Priscilla Presley said after Lisa Marie’s death?

On January 24, Priscilla took to Twitter to thank fans for their condolences following her daughter’s death.

She wrote in a post: “Thank you all for your condolences, you have touched me with your words. It has been a very difficult time but just knowing your love is out there makes a difference.

“To YOU, I’m truly overwhelmed with your words, your prayers, your love and your support. Thank you from the bottom of my heart in trying to help me get through this loss. Every parent who has lost a daughter or son knows what a dark painstaking journey it is.”