Riley Keough Fights to Stop Graceland Auction Over ‘Fraudulent’ Documents
Written by Rtradio on May 21, 2024
Elvis Presley‘s granddaughter, Riley Keough, is embroiled in a legal battle to prevent the public auction of Graceland, the iconic Memphis estate that once belonged to her legendary grandfather. The dispute arose after a company attempted to sell the property, alleging that a loan secured against the estate had not been repaid.
A public auction for Graceland was scheduled for Thursday this week but a Memphis judge intervened, blocking the sale after Keough sought a temporary restraining order and filed a lawsuit, according to court documents obtained by ET.
Earlier in May, a public notice was posted announcing a foreclosure sale of the 13-acre estate. The notice claimed that Promenade Trust, which manages the Graceland Museum, owed $3.8 million for a loan taken out in 2018. Keough inherited the trust and ownership of Graceland following the death of her mother, Lisa Marie Presley, last year.
The company behind the foreclosure notice claims that Lisa Marie failed to repay the loan. However, Keough, representing the Promenade Trust, filed a lawsuit last week, alleging that the company had presented fraudulent documents concerning the loan and the unpaid sum as recently as September 2023.
On Monday, Priscilla Presley, 78, reacted to reports about Graceland being auctioned off with an Instagram post. She shared a photo of Graceland with the caption “It’s a Scam!” overlaying the image.
An injunction hearing is set for Wednesday in Shelby County Chancery Court.
In a statement released to ET on Tuesday, Elvis Presley Enterprises Inc. stated, “There is no foreclosure sale. Simply put, the counter lawsuit has been filed to stop the fraud.”
Graceland, which opened as a museum and tourist attraction in 1982 to honor Elvis Presley, continues to be a significant cultural landmark. The estate draws hundreds of thousands of visitors annually, celebrating the life and legacy of the rock ‘n’ roll icon who died in August 1977 at 42.
Keough follows in her famous grandfather’s footsteps — but on her own terms. In February 2023, the 34-year-old Daisy Jones & The Six actress sat down with ET to discuss her highly-anticipated Prime Video series.
“It’s pretty amazing. I think we really came from not being able to play anything on a guitar or sing really, to having a full record going out which is like it’s crazy to us I think,” she said. “We had months of jam sessions, so we had months of rehearsals, so we were basically in band practice for, I don’t know, a year.”
“So, what does it mean to be continuing your family’s musical legacy in a series like this?” asked ET.
“I certainly wouldn’t put that pressure on it. I don’t know if there is continuing my grandfather’s legacy, it’s its own sort of thing to me. But it was a really fun experience for me,” Riley said of making the show. “I’m not a musician — or I am now I guess. I’ve been interested in film my whole life and so for me, it was more really loving to get to have a relationship with music in that way.”
“I’ve listened to music and my whole family are musicians and I’ve been around this world a lot and been on tour and all that kind of stuff,” she continued. “But I’d never really done it myself. So for me, it was more about my personal relationship with getting to play music, which was fun.”
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