Priscilla Presley's lawyers advised her to skip Oscars amid war with Riley Keough over Elvis' estate
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Priscilla Presley reportedly decided to skip the Oscars ceremony and the associated events after being advised by her legal team. Fans were astonished when the 77-year-old, whose daughter Lisa Marie died in January, did not attend Hollywood's biggest night with leading actor nominee Austin Butler.
Sources told the US Sun that Presley also declined an invitation to the party held by Warner Brothers following the awards. Riley Keough, who is battling her grandmother in court for ownership of Elvis' inheritance, did, however, attend the Vanity Fair after-party that night with her husband, Ben Smith-Petersen.
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Why did Priscilla Presley skip the Oscars?
As the conflict over Elvis' estate heats up, an insider claimed Presley was instructed "not to discuss the case or the matter with anyone else other than legal advisors and managers." "Priscilla's absence from the Oscars was not as simple as 'I am not going.' The lawyers in the case played a major role that night," sources said.
"With so many people who know Priscilla attending the ceremony, there was no way that she would have not interacted with them, and of course potentially discussed the case. Truthfully, it was and is the subject much of Hollywood is talking about because it was so shocking to see the family split during a time of grief and also a time of celebration for the movie. So, word came through that ideally for Priscilla it was best to steer clear of all that," the insider added.
Lisa Marie, 54, the only child of Elvis, died on January 12 from a heart attack in her home in Calabasas, California.
Priscilla Presley and Riley Keough’s bitter legal battle
Sources said that the conversations at the Oscars would have undoubtedly still been about the lawsuit even if Presley had slipped past the media line on the red carpet. "We understood too that Riley was adamant about heading out on Oscars night - not just to represent her mom, but also to promote her TV series Daisy Jones And The Six," sources claimed.
Due to Lisa Marie's death, Presley is currently contesting Keough's right to inherit her the legend's estate on the grounds that certain provisions of her will were false. As Keough had received invites to so many parties, it was unclear which party she would attend. Sources said, "So, given that grandmother and granddaughter are not speaking unless through lawyers, it would have been huge drama had they come face to face that night."
Even though Presley had been representing 'Elvis' at the Golden Globes with Keough and Lisa Marie weeks earlier, little was reported about her absence from the Oscars.
The Presley family battle is real
Days before the Oscars, Presley declined all media requests and avoided bringing up Keough during a Q&A to promote 'Agent Elvis' at Netflix's LA Tudum Theater. She and her staffers "stage-managed" her entrance back onto the red carpet. Sources stated that attorneys were taking the lead in this case even though the conflict was real and the family split was tragic. "And they tell their clients what they believe is best before a case. It is always advised that the two opposing parties steer clear of each other, definitely publicly and if possible privately," sources added.
One fan was outraged that Lisa Marie's death was not even mentioned or given any respect by Elvis' ex-wife. According to a different PR source, both Austin and filmmaker Baz Luhrmann regard what happened to the Presley family to be "incomprehensible."
