The late Elvis Presley's ex-wife, Priscilla Presley, secretly became a great-grandmother. The first baby photo was recently revealed.
Her granddaughter, Riley, revealed the baby's birth in a touching speech for her late mom Lisa Marie Presley.
Riley was also born in secrecy and raised privately while grandma Priscilla cared for her amid her mom's life problems.
After the tragic death of Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of the late music icon Elvis Presley and his ex-wife, Priscilla Presley, the family was shocked and dismayed. Lisa was survived by her three children, actress Riley Keough, and her younger twin sisters Harper Vivienne Ann and Finley Aaron Love.
Riley was recently spotted after she landed in Memphis to attend her mother's funeral. It was the first time the oldest of Lisa's kids was seen since her death on January 12. The actress stepped off her flight and was greeted by her grandmother and stepdad, Michael Lockwood.
The young actress' mother passed away in her home due to cardiac arrest. At the time of Lisa's death, her previous husband, and Riley's father, Danny Keough, had just arrived at Lisa's home and performed CPR on Lisa until paramedics arrived.
Internet users responded to the news, sending their congratulations as well as their condolences.
Priscilla Presley and Riley Keough at Paramount Studios on May 07, 2016 in Hollywood, California | Source: Getty Images
Ever since her mother's death, Riley has been scarce. However, when she and her husband, Ben Smith-Peterson, arrived in Memphis, the young actress seemed to have a surprise family member with her — Riley was carrying a previously unseen baby.
Riley Revealed Daughter's Secret Birth in Emotional Speech for Late Mom
A memorial service was held at Graceland in Memphis, where Lisa's body was also laid to rest. During the heartrending service, Riley's husband took to the stage in her stead to read an emotional tribute to the late Lisa. In the speech, Ben and Riley revealed they had a daughter in secret. The new dad read:
"I hope I can love my daughter the way you loved me, the way you loved my brother and my sisters. Thank you for giving me strength, my heart, my empathy, my courage, my sense of humor, my manners, my temper, my wildness, my tenacity."
Riley Keough and Lisa Marie Presley at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills on October 16, 2017 in Los Angeles, California | Source: Getty Images
Internet users responded to the news, sending their congratulations as well as their condolences. One Facebook user commented, "Congratulations must be bitter sweet. This little one will be their salvation." Another user wished the new parents all the best but observed that the day must have been tragic despite the happy news.
Although the media tried to extract at least some information about Elvis' new grandchild from the family, everyone kept their lips sealed.
The entire family is pitching in to help raise the newest addition to the Presley family, with Priscilla playing the role of doting grandma. Despite the unexpected news, Riley and Ben have been together since almost 2013. They initially met on the set of "Mad Max: Fury Road" and were engaged in 2014.
Riley Was Also Born in Secrecy and Was under Grandma Priscilla's Care
Riley's choice to keep everyone in the dark regarding her new child is similar to how her mom treated Riley's own birth. When Lisa was pregnant with Riley, the entire family conspired to keep the mom and her baby as far away from the prying eyes of the press as possible. And they did an excellent job.
After mainly talking on-set, they started to spend time together when they weren't working, and a romance soon blossomed.
Although the media tried to extract at least some information about Elvis' new grandchild from the family, everyone kept their lips sealed. Priscilla didn't blab, and when Lisa was admitted to the hospital, Saint John's Hospital only said the birth went well and Danny Keough was with his then-wife. Lisa commented:
"I didn't want her to have that shadow where she felt competition and intimidated by anything. I wanted [my children] to be able to do what they wanted to do."
Everyone was left wondering about the baby's gender and other specifics. With Priscilla playing mute once more, the great-grandmother is looking after Lisa's kids like she had done when Lisa struggled with addiction. Priscilla opened up about her grandchildren, saying her grandkids mean "the world" to her.
Riley Knew Her Spouse Would Be Dad of Her Child One Week after Meeting Him
Riley and Ben met while they were filming in Namibia. At the time, Ben was a stuntman, and Riley had a part in the film. Initially, though, they only mingled occasionally. A year later, however, they had to do reshoots in Sydney, which is when Riley and Ben started to get to know each other.
She remembered seeing Ben for the first time in a year and thought he had grown up. After mainly talking on-set, they started to spend time together when they weren't working, and a romance soon blossomed. Ben took her out, showing her the Australian countryside and taking her on exciting trips.
However, like everything else, Riley's time in Australia quickly came to an end. The actress realized she had plans to see her family in London, and Ben was planning on visiting his relatives in Byron. Neither of them wanted to part ways, however, and Ben asked if she wanted to join him instead. She agreed, and they started off, with Riley remembering:
"We stopped at this little gas station to get chips and fill up the tank. We were so young, he was 22 and I was 24 without a care in the world. I remember as he walked out of the gas station, I so strongly had this feeling, and it was, 'That's the father of your children.'"
Ben and Riley fell in love quickly, and they had their first wedding in Nepal and a more traditional ceremony later on. Now, almost a decade after they first married, the couple share a baby and all the support they could possibly need. With great-grandma Priscilla there to ensure everything goes well, Riley and Ben look forward to raising their child together.
ncG1vNJzZmimlazAb63MqKSapZFjsLC5jmxnaWtobnqxvsismqKknJZ6sb7ErKOesV1shG6%2FxJypnqycrnq4scucpqadlGK0b7TTpqM%3D