Grieving Lisa Marie Presley kept her son's body at home for two months after his death
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Lisa Marie Presley's posthumous memoir clearly reveals the extent of her grief over the death of her son Benjamin Keough.
The late singer, who was the only child of singer Elvis Presley and actor/singer Priscilla Presley, died in January last year aged 54.
His daughter, actor and musician Riley Keough completed the book – titled From here to the great unknown – in the months following his death.
In one chapter, Presley reveals that she was so devastated by Benjamin's death that she kept his body in her house for two months, as she struggled to decide where to bury him.
Benjamin, Riley's younger brother, was shared by Presley and her first husband, musician Danny Keough, before their divorce in 1994. He took his own life in 2020 at the age of 27.
Page Six reports that she explained how she had to “fight” herself to keep her surviving children, Riley, 35, and twin daughters Harper and Finley Lockwood, now 16, alive.
“There is no law in the state of California that requires you to bury someone immediately,” Presley wrote, revealing that she placed her son in a casket bedroom — a small building separate from the main property.
“I got a very sympathetic funeral home owner… he said, 'We'll bring Ben Ben to you.'”
Riley and her mother decided to honor Benjamin with matching tattoos – his sister's name inscribed on his collarbone and his mother's name on his arm. They called a tattooist to look at Benjamin's body so he could determine the lettering and placement.
Riley reportedly wrote in the memoir: “Lisa Marie Presley asked this poor man to see the body of his dead son, which was right next to us in Casitas.
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“I've had a very absurd life, but this moment is in the top five.”
Right after they get their tattoos, Riley reminds everyone that Benjamin was trying to get laid.
“Even my mom said she could feel him talking to her, saying, 'This is crazy, mom, what are you doing? What the f***!'” He wrote
Benjamin's funeral was held in Malibu with a ceremony presided over by Indian-American writer Deepak Chopra. He is buried next to his grandfather at Graceland; Lisa Marie was also later buried next to him.
In an interview with Dr people, Riley says her mother died of a “broken heart” after Benjamin's death. He died of natural causes; A medical examiner determined that a small bowel obstruction caused his cardiac arrest.
“My mom did everything she could to find strength for me and my younger sisters after Ben died, but we knew how much pain she was in,” Riley said. “My mother died physically from the effects of her surgery, but we all knew she died of a broken heart.”
From here to the great unknown out now
If you are affected by the issues mentioned in this article, you can contact the following organizations for assistance: mind.org.uk, nhs.uk/livewell/mentalhealth, mentalhealth.org.uk, samaritans.org.
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