Sometimes the biggest headlines in Hollywood are the ones families try to keep quiet.
Riley Keough, Elvis Presley’s granddaughter and the daughter of the late Lisa Marie Presley, has quietly expanded her family with husband Ben Smith-Petersen. The couple, who tied the knot in 2015, secretly welcomed their second child earlier this year and kept the news under wraps until Riley’s grandmother, Priscilla Presley, let the cat out of the bag during an interview.
At thirty-six, Riley is already mom to three-year-old Tupelo, a spirited little girl who has been stealing hearts since the day she was born. Now Tupelo has a younger sibling joining her adventures, although Riley and Ben have not yet revealed the baby’s name or gender. Priscilla, glowing with pride, shared that she could not be happier about seeing her family grow and said she loves spending time with her great-grandchildren.
Priscilla gushed about Tupelo, calling her a chatterbox who started speaking well before her first birthday. She remembered holding her by the pond at home when the little girl surprised everyone by pointing and saying “pond,” then calling out “car” soon after. According to Priscilla, Tupelo lives in her own little world and does things her way, which sounds like pure Presley spirit.
For Riley, raising her children is about keeping life grounded even though she is part of one of the most legendary families in American music. She has been clear about wanting her kids to grow up with normal childhood memories, such as running around the backyard, playing games, and enjoying simple joys rather than being swept up in celebrity spectacle. “I don’t need elephants and circus stuff,” she has said. What she wants is to give her kids roots while the Presley legacy gives them wings.
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Riley and Ben’s journey to parenthood has not been without challenges. Their first child, Tupelo, was born via surrogate in 2022 because Riley has dealt with autoimmune issues, including Lyme disease. She has been candid about how grateful she is to the women who step in to make motherhood possible for others, and she has called it an incredible act of generosity. That honesty has resonated with people who admire her openness about both her struggles and her triumphs.
Behind her calm presence as a mother, Riley carries the fiery streak that runs through the Presley bloodline. She has admitted to being a rebellious teenager who once ended up in jail for sneaking into the wrong house during a party. That misstep, along with the tough love from her mother, Lisa Marie, shaped the resilience that defines her today. Now she channels that same determination into her role as a mom, determined to get it right even though she knows perfect parenting does not exist.
Ben Smith-Petersen, her Australian stuntman husband, has been by her side through it all. The two met on the set of Mad Max: Fury Road in 2012 and married just three years later. Nearly a decade into their marriage, they have built a family that honors tradition while carving out their own path.
The Presley name will always bring attention, but Riley Keough is proving she is not just living in Elvis Presley‘s shadow. She is shaping her own story, built on love, resilience, and now the joy of raising two children far away from the circus of fame. While the world may be buzzing over the secret baby news, Riley seems content to keep her focus on what matters most: her husband, her kids, and building the kind of home where family always comes first.
