Introduction
Presley Family Drama: Riley Keough Backs Priscilla Amidst Shocking Lawsuit
The private affairs of the Presley family remain fiercely public, and while Riley Keough and her grandmother, Priscilla Presley, settled their legal differences over Lisa Marie Presley’s estate in May 2023, the drama continues. A new, far more sensational legal battle, filed by former business associate Bridget Cruz, has forced the family to present a united front against shocking allegations that are now playing out in the public eye.
Cruz, an auctioneer who formed Priscilla Presley Enterprises LLC in 2022 to help Priscilla manage debt, initially sued for breach of contract after claiming she was abruptly cut off from the business. Priscilla fired back in July 2024, filing a countersuit claiming elder abuse, asserting that Cruz took control of her finances and secured 80% of her income. While the financial dispute is complex, the second lawsuit filed by Cruz in August 2025 went further, leveling accusations that drew immediate and fierce condemnation from the Presley camp.
Two of Cruz’s claims stand out. First, the lawsuit alleges that Priscilla continued using the ‘Presley’ name against Elvis’s wishes following their divorce. However, this claim appears to lack legal grounding. Fact-checking against the divorce decree reveals no such prohibition. Furthermore, Elvis himself publicly celebrated Priscilla as “a beautiful chick” while she was using the Presley name to promote her fashion boutique as early as 1974, suggesting the rumor stems more from entourage anecdotes than legal fact.
The most egregious claim concerns the day Lisa Marie died. Cruz’s filing stated that Priscilla “rushed to West Hills Hospital and… pulled the plug within hours” despite Lisa’s directive to prolong her life, and before Riley could arrive. Priscilla’s attorney, Marty Singer, immediately slammed the allegation, calling it “malicious character assassination” and “meritless.” Available reports show Lisa Marie was taken to the hospital around 11:15 a.m. and died at 5:08 p.m., with Riley confirming in her memoir that she did not believe her mother “wanted to” live through the crisis.
Despite some awkward public tension, like the moments at the October 2024 memoir event where Priscilla felt “rattled” by Lisa Marie’s unedited words, Riley has firmly stood by her grandmother. Riley’s action, from bringing Priscilla to the 2024 Emmy Awards to her legal team confirming she “stands behind her grandmother 100%,” demonstrates a clear desire to protect their relationship against what they view as a cynical attempt to exploit their grief and tarnish Priscilla’s character for profit. The ongoing court battles will determine the financial facts, but the family’s unity suggests the more damaging allegations will not stand.