In a poignant revelation, Lisa Marie Presley shared the unimaginable pain of her son Benjamin Keough‘s death, detailed in her posthumous memoir, “From Here to the Great Unknown,” which was completed by her daughter, actress Riley Keough, after Lisa Marie’s passing in January 2023.
At the age of 54, Lisa Marie, the only child of rock legend Elvis Presley, faced the crushing grief of losing her son, who died by suicide at the age of 27 in 2020.
Related: Benjamin Keough, Son Of Lisa Marie Presley, Passes Away At 27
The memoir uncovers a harrowing decision: she kept Benjamin’s body at home on dry ice for two months as she grappled with her overwhelming sorrow.
“My mom had my brother in the house with us instead of keeping him at the morgue,” Riley wrote.
“They told us that if we could tend to the body, we could have him at home, so she kept him in our house for a while on dry ice.”
This haunting choice allowed Lisa Marie the time to say goodbye, reminiscent of how she mourned her father. “I would go and sit in there with him,” Riley added.
California law provides flexibility in how long a family can keep a body before burial, a detail that Lisa Marie utilized in her time of grief.
She shared that her home had a separate guest room, which served as a temporary resting place for Benjamin.
“I found a very empathic funeral home owner… she said, ‘We’ll bring Ben Ben to you. You can have him there.’”
Despite the unconventional circumstances, Lisa Marie described a sense of comfort in having her son nearby.
“I think it would scare the living f—ing piss out of anybody else to have their son there like that. But not me,” she wrote, revealing the unique way she processed her grief.
The temperature in the room where Benjamin’s body was kept was maintained at a chilly 55 degrees, allowing Lisa Marie to care for him in a manner she felt was meaningful.
In an unexpected twist, the family chose to commemorate Benjamin with matching tattoos, a moment made more surreal by the fact that his body was nearby.
“Do you happen to have any photos?” the tattoo artist asked.
Lisa Marie’s response was chilling: “No, but I can show you.”
Riley recalled how this strange moment signaled a shift, an unspoken agreement that it was time for Benjamin to find a final resting place.
“Soon after that, we all kind of got this vibe from my brother that he didn’t want his body in this house anymore,” she wrote.
Channeling her brother’s spirit, Riley imagined him saying, “‘Guys, this is getting weird.’ Even my mom felt him talking to her, saying, ‘This is insane, Mom, what are you doing? What the f—!’”
Ultimately, both Benjamin Keough and Lisa Marie Presley were interred together at Graceland, a testament to their profound bond and the enduring legacy of their family.
This deeply moving account sheds light on the complexities of grief and love, revealing a side of Lisa Marie that many have yet to understand.
“From Here to the Great Unknown” not only honors Benjamin’s memory but also opens a window into the heartache of a mother mourning the loss of her child. (Buy The Book)
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