When Lisa Marie Presley passed away earlier this month, her will left everything—including partial control of Elvis Presley’s estate—to her daughters. Now, her mother, Priscilla, is contesting the will and fighting an amendment to the document she claims is invalid.
Joel Weinshanker, managing partner at Elvis Presley Enterprises, recently weighed in on the situation, telling Sirius XM’s Elvis Radio that Lisa Marie was “quite certain” she wanted her children to carry on Elvis’ legacy.
“We discussed this many many times [before] she passed, and that was always Riley and Ben,” Weinshanker said, referring to Riley Keough and Benjamin Keough, her children with ex David Keough. “There was never a question in her mind that they would be the stewards, that they would look at it the exact same way that she did. And obviously when Ben passed, it really sat with Riley.”
Benjamin died by suicide in 2020, leaving Riley and twins Harper and Finley Lockwood, 14, as the co-trustees of Lisa Marie’s Trust, which includes the famous Graceland property and 15% ownership of Elvis’ estate.
Why Priscilla Is Contesting Her Daughter’s Will
While Weinshanker is insistent that Lisa Marie wanted her children to take charge of her trust, Priscilla is not so sure. Previously, the will stated that Priscilla and Barry Siegel, her former business manager, would be co-trustees.
This 2010 amendment to her will was replaced in 2016 with a new amendment that made her children co-trustees of Lisa Marie’s Trust instead. Priscilla is contesting this amendment, claiming she had no prior knowledge of the change. This would make the 2016 amendment invalid, as Priscilla did not receive the amendment while Lisa Marie was alive “as required by the express terms of the Trust.”
Priscilla has also claimed that there are “many issues surrounding the authenticity and validity” of the amendment, including the fact that her name was misspelled on the document, the amendment was not witnessed or notarized, and Lisa Marie’s signature is “inconsistent” with her usual signature.
It’s unknown whether or not Priscilla’s petition will change the outcome of Lisa Marie’s trust and Elvis’ estate but, despite her mother’s claims, it seems clear that Lisa Marie wanted her children to carry on her father’s legacy.
