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THE GRANDSON of the King of Rock n Roll, Elvis Presley, Riley Keough, has spoken out against the auction of Graceland, the mansion he inherited from his grandfather in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. According to the New York Post on Monday (05/21), 2024 Riley Keough called the upcoming sale of the property a “sham”.
A notice from the Shelby County Courthouse, cited by WREG-TV News, states that Graceland and surrounding properties in Memphis, Tennessee, will be auctioned off to the highest bidder for cash on May 23.
Keough, 34, who owns the property, is fighting the auction, calling it a scam. He filed a lawsuit, and on Monday, his attorney obtained a temporary restraining order.
A source told The Post that Keough was “traumatized” by what happened and never thought that a historic property could even be considered transferable to a stranger.
The drama surrounding Graceland stems from a 2018 deed of trust allegedly signed by Riley Keough’s late mother, Lisa Marie Presley, which secured a US$3.8 million loan using Graceland as collateral.
The loan was allegedly obtained through Naussany Investments and Private Lending, a Missouri-based company. The company claims Lisa Marie, who died last year at age 54, failed to repay the loan.
But Keough’s lawsuit, filed May 15 in Shelby County Chancery Court, insists Lisa Marie never borrowed money from Naussany. Keough’s suit says the documents are forged, Lisa Marie’s signature was forged and Naussany Investments is not even a legitimate company.
The notary listed on the document also denied authenticating Lisa Marie’s signature or ever meeting her. Elvis purchased Graceland for US$102,500 in 1957, the same year he released hits like “Blue Christmas” and “All Shook Up.
Lisa Marie inherited Graceland after Elvis’ death in 1977, and the building opened to the public as a museum in 1982. After Lisa Marie’s death in January 2023, Riley Keough became her heir.
Graceland is not just a home, but a shrine to one of the greatest pop culture icons of all time. Built in 1939, the mansion was named after Ruth Brown Moore’s aunt, Grace Toof. The 13.8-acre site attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year who come to celebrate Elvis Presley’s legacy. [antaranews/photo special]
