'Lisa Did Not Have an Easy Life, as Some Might Think'

The world of show business has been stunned by the death of Lisa Marie Presley, Elvis Presley's only child. Priscilla Presley, the 54-year-old's mother, said Thursday night that Lisa Marie had died in a Los Angeles hospital after suffering a medical emergency earlier in the day. Presley was last seen in public at the Golden Globes awards Tuesday night, which she attended with her mother. No cause of death has been disclosed. Many celebrities said they were shocked and heartbroken by the news, the New York Times reports. More:

• Priscilla Presley's statement. "It is with a heavy heart that I must share the devastating news that my beautiful daughter Lisa Marie has left us. She was the most passionate, strong, and loving woman I have ever known. We ask for privacy as we try to deal with this profound loss. Thank you for the love and prayers. At this time there will be no further comment."

• She lost her father when she was 9. The Guardian looks back at Presley's life. Her father died when she was 9 years old and she became sole surviving heir of his estate when she was 25. She found success as a singer-songwriter and was married four times, to Danny Keough, Michael Jackson, Nicolas Cage, and Michael Lockwood. She filed to divorce Lockwood in 2016. She was the mother of three daughters, including film star Riley Keough. Her only son, Benjamin Keough, died by suicide in 2020 at age 27.
• She spoke about overcoming difficult times. Presley spoke openly about her various struggles, including a battle with opioid addiction, People reports. In August, she wrote an essay about the "horrific reality" of her grief at her son's death. "I keep going because my son made it very clear in his final moments that taking care of his little sisters and looking out for them were on the forefront of his concerns and his mind," she wrote.

• "Our hearts are broken." At the Golden Globes, Austin Butler won best actor for his portrayal of Elvis Presley in the Elvis biopic and thanked Lisa Marie and other family members, the BBC reports. Tom Hanks played manager Col. Tom Parker. "Our hearts are broken with the sudden and shocking passing of Lisa Marie Presley," the actor's wife, Rita Wilson, said in an Instagram post. "Tom and I had spent some time with the family during the Elvis movie promotional tour, she wrote. "Lisa Marie was so honest and direct, vulnerable, in a state of anticipation about the movie. She spoke so eloquently about her father, what the movie meant to her, that it was a celebration of her dad."
• "Lisa did not have an easy life." "I’m heartbroken over the passing of Lisa Marie Presley. Lisa did not have an easy life, as some might think," tweeted actress Leah Remini. "May she be at peace, resting with her son and father now. Her mom Priscilla and her three daughters, Riley, Finley, and Harper, are in my prayers."
• John Travolta mourns "Lisa baby girl." "Lisa baby girl, I’m so sorry. I’ll miss you but I know I’ll see you again. My love and heart goes out to Riley, Priscilla, Harper and Finley," John Travolta said in an Instagram post.
• Flowers at Graceland. Mourners left candles and flowers at Graceland Thursday night, the BBC reports. Presley visited the mansion on Sunday to mark what would have been her dad's 88th birthday.

(More Lisa Marie Presley stories.)