Riley Keough says Lisa Marie doesn't care about backlash over Son on Ice

Riley Keough has her mother's support even in death and reveals that Lisa Marie Presley She “wouldn’t care” about the backlash over her decision to keep her late son Benjamin Keough on dry ice after his death.

“If my mom were here, she would be like, ‘Yeah, whatever. I don't care. If people think this is crazy, they can do it themselves,” said Riley, 35 People on Wednesday, October 9, referencing her mother's decision to place Benjamin's body on dry ice in her home before burying him in Tennessee in 2020.

Riley explained, “The truth is that it was COVID and the plans to bury him were really unclear.” She noted that the family “had to go to Graceland, and it was really hard because it was COVID and we didn't know , who was coming, so there was a lot of planning to do.”

Riley recalled that her mother wanted Benjamin, who died by suicide in 2020 at age 27, to be “under her control,” which is why she kept him close. (Presley shared Riley and Benjamin with his ex-husband Danny Keough.)

“She didn't want his body in a place where it could be messed with,” Riley added. “We come from a family that causes quite a stir, so I think ultimately she just felt like she wanted to be in control of the situation.”

Riley's comments come a day after the release of Presley's memoir: From here to the great unknown, posthumously. In the book, which Riley completed after her mother's death in January 2023, Presley details Benjamin's funeral process.

“My house has a separate casitas bedroom and I put Ben there for two months. “There is no law in the state of California that says you must bury someone immediately,” Presley wrote. “I found a very compassionate funeral home owner… She said, 'We'll bring Ben Ben to you.'”

Related: Lisa Marie Presley over the years

Lisa Marie Presley, the only child of Elvis Presley and Priscilla Presley, made a name for herself in the public eye. She was only 9 years old when her father died in 1977. As Lisa Marie continued to grow, she quickly followed in her father's footsteps. She released three albums over the course of (…).

Riley recalled that her mother wanted “ample time to say goodbye to him, just as she had done with her father.” Lisa Marie's father, Elvis PresleyShe died in 1997 at the age of 9, but was not immediately buried.

“It was incredibly helpful to have my father in the house after his death because I was able to spend time with him and talk to him,” Lisa Marie wrote.

During the two months that Benjamin's body lay on ice, Lisa Marie said she had a tattoo artist come to her home so she could get matching ink. When asked for a picture of Benjamin, she showed the artist her son's body.

“Lisa Marie Presley had just asked this poor man to look at her dead son’s body, which happened to be right next to us in the casitas,” Riley recalls in the book. “I've had an extremely absurd life, but this moment is in the top five.”

Riley noted that after getting the appropriate ink, Lisa Marie “felt the vibe” for Benjamin to be laid to rest. “Even my mom said she could feel him talking to her and saying, 'This is crazy mom, what are you doing?' What the fuck!'” Riley wrote.

Related: Riley Keough and Lisa Marie Presley's bond over the years

After Lisa Marie Presley's death in 2023, her eldest daughter, Riley Keough, picked up where she left off and completed her memoir, From Here to the Great Unknown. Ahead of the book's release in October 2024, Keough spoke publicly about her mother for the first time since Presley's death and spoke candidly about the (…)

Benjamin's funeral was held in Malibu and he was later buried at Graceland, his grandfather Elvis' estate in Memphis, Tennessee.

When Lisa Marie died of a heart attack at age 53, she too was buried at Graceland. Her body was buried next to her father and son.

Lisa Marie is survived by her daughter Riley and Riley's baby girl Tupelo, whom she welcomed with her husband Ben Smith Peterson in 2022. Lisa Marie's legacy also continues with her youngest daughters, twins Harper and Finley, 16, whom she shared with her ex Michael Lockwood.