The memoirs of Lisa Marie Presley are truly shocking
“When my father died, I was 9. And I lit a cigarette.”
As the daughter of Elvis Presley, Lisa Marie Presley was in the spotlight her entire life. Like her father, Lisa Marie was not exactly a run-of-the-mill type. She was married to Michael Jackson for 18 months, kept the body of her deceased son at home for two months, and took about 80 pills a day. Lisa Marie was, you could almost say, ‘coincidentally’ working on her memoirs when she unexpectedly left this life. Almost two years after her death, her daughter decided to publish the memoirs anyway. ‘From Here to the Unknown’ is, as you might expect from someone of her stature, full of revelations.
At the height of her addiction, she took 80 pills a day
After the birth of her twins Finley and Harper, Lisa Marie was prescribed opioids: painkillers for the pain of the cesarean section. She became addicted and started using the pills to sleep as well. Her addiction spiraled out of control and being sober became too painful. Her body needed more and more to feel the effect and to get high. At her lowest point, Lisa Marie took 80 pills a day. She ended up in the hospital and was ordered by the judge to go into rehab.
She kept the body of her deceased son at home for two months
In 2020, her son Benjamin Keough committed suicide. Lisa Marie couldn't say goodbye to him and kept his body at home for two months thanks to dry ice. In the book, she also shares that she had a tattoo artist come to replicate the tattoos Benjamin had for his sister and mother, but with his name. Only when this was done did Lisa Marie feel that her son was ready to be buried. She heard him talking to her: “This is crazy, mom, what are you doing? What is this!”
As a child, she was already afraid of losing her father
Despite her young age — she was 9 when Elvis died — Lisa Marie was well aware that something was wrong with him. She found him unconscious multiple times and worried about his life. In a poem, she wrote the line: “I hope my father doesn’t die.”
Lisa Marie took photos in Graceland for fans
Elvis's diehard fans often came to Graceland hoping to see the singer and take a photo. Lisa Marie came up with something for that. She told the fans that for 20 dollars, she would take a photo with their camera. And sure enough, the fans paid. She then went inside, took some snapshots of the floor, and came back outside. A few times, she even didn’t return the camera, even though they had paid. One of those fans ran into her years later, and she apologized then.
She found comfort only in her father's bed
During her addiction, Lisa Marie longed immensely for her father. Sometimes she missed him so much that she drove from her home in Nashville to Graceland — a distance of 300 kilometers. There, she slept in his bed or sometimes even on the floor. Anything to feel her father's protection and love.
Michael Jackson was still a virgin when they started their relationship
Lisa Marie was six when she first met Michael Jackson. Ten years later, they saw each other again, and a bond quickly formed. She even went with him to Las Vegas while still married to her first husband, Danny Keough. During their trip, they spent hours in his hotel room talking and watching movies. Nothing else happened, but their connection was obvious. On the last night, Michael told her that he was madly in love and wanted to marry her and even have children. He also confessed to still being a virgin. Lisa Marie divorced her husband and married Michael that same year.
The dangers at Graceland
Graceland is still something special for Elvis fans. For Lisa Marie, it was just the place where she grew up, although strange things did happen there from time to time. In her memoirs, she shares that she was surprised that no one ever got hurt with all their antics. They drove recklessly with golf carts around the property and destroyed everything in sight. There was also a barn on the estate where Elvis stored fireworks. With friends, he set off firecrackers that they threw at each other. One day, it went wrong: a box full of firecrackers exploded all at once, and the barn went up in flames.
The day her father died
August 16, 1977. As Lisa Marie puts it: “the day the music died” and Elvis passed away. She woke up that morning to all the commotion in the house. She wanted to go to her father, but was held back. Back in her room, she smoked a cigarette — yes, she was 9 — and waited for what would come. An hour later, she heard her grandfather crying: “He’s gone, he’s gone.” A sound she would never forget.
