Inside Lisa Marie Presley’s “relentless grief” over son Benjamin’s suicide

Lisa Marie Presley wrote an essay just five months before her own death, sharing her “relentless grief” at the untimely death of her son Benjamin.

Elvis Presley’s 54-year-old daughter was taken to a hospital after paramedics were able to restore her pulse, TMZ reported Thursday.

But her mother, Priscilla Presley, shared a statement announcing that her daughter had died later in the day.

“It is with a heavy heart that I share the devastating news that our beautiful daughter Lisa Marie has left us,” she said, according to People.

“She was the most passionate, strong and loving woman I have ever known. We ask for privacy as we try to come to terms with this great loss,” Priscilla continued. “Thank you for the love and prayers. There will be no further comment at this time.’

Last August, Lisa Marie wrote a National Grief Awareness essay about the death of her son Benjamin.

“I can understand why people might want to avoid you when a terrible tragedy has happened. Especially a parent who loses their child because it really is their worst nightmare,” she wrote in her essay, published by People.

‘Relenting Grief’: Lisa Marie Presley, who died Thursday at the age of 54 after suffering cardiac arrest, penned an essay last August about her overwhelming grief over the suicide of her son Benjamin in 2020. Seen together in 2012

Benjamin Keough was 27 years old at the time of his death. He died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office said after the incident.

Benjamin’s father is Lisa Marie’s first husband, Danny Keough, whom she married in 1988 and divorced in 1994.

In the emotional essay, Lisa Marie admitted that she had kept her distance from the parents of other people whose children died by suicide, which seemed to haunt her.

“I can remember a few times in my life where I have known parents who have lost their child and although I could be there for them when it happened I avoided them afterwards and never bothered to contacting them because they literally became a representative is my biggest fear,” she wrote.

“I also judged them cautiously and vowed never to do what I believe they have done or neglected to do with their child in their parenting actions and decisions.”

Terrible fear: In the emotional essay published by People, Lisa Marie admitted that she had kept her distance from the parents of other people whose children died by suicide, which is now haunting her. Pictured is Lisa Marie at the Golden Globes in Beverly Hills on Tuesday

The daughter of Priscilla Presley – who rushed to her side after her medical emergency in hospital – wrote that since her son’s death she has “lived in the horrifying reality” of the “relentless grips” of grief.

Unfortunately, it was a sentiment she was well acquainted with, having suffered the death of her father Elvis in 1977, who was originally thought to be from cardiac arrest, although his prodigious drug use is believed to have played a part as well.

His daughter was only nine years old at the time.

Lisa Marie said in her essay that grief is not “a comfortable topic for anyone” and “highly unpopular” to discuss.

But she believed it was necessary to speak openly about grief and tragedy in order to make “progress.”

Family tragedies are no stranger: Lisa Marie Presley (right) and her then-husband Michael Lockwood (second from left) in 2010 with Lisa Marie’s children Riley (left) and Benjamin Keough, who later died by suicide

Lisa Marie added that her son reminded her of her father, which only worried her more.

He was “so like his grandfather on so many levels that he actually scared me,” she wrote, adding that I worried about him “even more than I naturally would have.”

Two years after Benjamin’s death, Lisa hadn’t felt much relief at the tragic loss and she blamed herself for her son’s death.

“I already fight tirelessly and chronically with myself and blame myself, blame myself every day and it’s hard enough to live with now,” she confessed, adding, “Others will judge and blame you too.” , even secretly or behind your back, what is more cruel and painful on top of that”.

She opined that “grief in no way stops or goes away a year or years after the loss. Grief is something you have to carry with you for the rest of your life, regardless of what certain people or our culture would have us believe.

“You don’t get over it, you don’t move on,” she wrote.

Difficult to move on: Two years after Benjamin’s death, Lisa hadn’t felt much relief at the tragic loss. “I’m already relentlessly and chronically struggling with myself and blaming myself, blaming myself every day, and it’s hard enough to live with now,” she admitted; seen with seen with Benjamin, daughter Riley and Lisa’s half brother Navarone Garibaldi

After Benjamin’s death, his friend, musician Brandon Howard, told People that he had lived with depression for years while also feeling weighed down by expectations of success like his famous grandfather.

“Sometimes he struggled with depression, which is a serious thing [the coronavirus pandemic] and everything’s happening right now and everyone’s locked in the house,” Howard said at the time.

“It’s a difficult thing when you have a lot of pressure with your family and you have to live up to a name and an image. It’s a lot of pressure. It’s almost like being forced to be a musician, to be an actor,” he added.

weight on his shoulders; After Benjamin’s death, his friend, musician Brandon Howard, told People that he had lived with depression for years, while also feeling weighed down by expectations of success like his famous grandfather; Presley seen in 2012

Following Presley’s health emergency, TMZ reported that on Thursday she was found unresponsive in her bedroom at her ex Danny Keough’s home, where she was recently staying.

It was her ex-husband who reportedly performed CPR on her until paramedics arrived at the scene.

A source told the publication that “someone administered epinephrine” — aka adrenaline — “at least once” to revive her.

She is said to have died a few hours later.