Celebrate the Heart of Country, Americana, and Roots Music!

Drop Us A Line, Y'all

Y'all interested in advertising, partnering up, contributing stories, joining our team, or just got a question? Well, don't be shy, drop us a line!

Follow Us

A Look Back to Lisa Marie Presley’s Four Marriages and Turbulent Divorces

Lisa Marie Presley Marriages
by
  • Arden is a Senior Country Music Journalist for Country Thang Daily, specializing in classic hits and contemporary chart-toppers.
  • Prior to joining Country Thang Daily, Arden wrote for Billboard and People magazine, covering country music legends and emerging artists.
  • Arden holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Tennessee, with a minor in Music Studies.

Elvis Presley’s only daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, has led a very interesting life.

She came into her own during the turbulent ’80s when she pursued a career in music, just like her legendary father. But it has most often been due to her personal life that has landed her in the headlines. Presley had a rocky love life, with every attempt to be in a lasting and healthy relationship lead to a dead end.

Let’s take a look back at Lisa Marie’s four marriages and turbulent divorces.

Danny Keough

In 1988, Lisa Marie tied the knot for the first time. She married Chicago-born musician Danny Keough, who once was part of her backing band. The two got hitched at the Celebrity Center International of the Church of Scientology in West Hollywood, with only nine people watching them exchange vows. 

The two were husband and wife for six years when they finalized their divorce in 1994. They had two children: a daughter, Danielle Riley Keough, and a son, Benjamin Storm Keough.

Riley, who was only six years old when her parents divorced, once revealed in an interview. “I grew up very privileged with my mother, but my dad didn’t live like that. And I think experiencing both sides has been helpful. My father had mattresses on the floor of his apartments. He lived in cabins and trailer parks. He just didn’t have much money.” 

She continued that her memories of growing up with her father were “so colorful and eccentric and fun. It was a good vibe, you know? When I was like eight, I told him, ‘I want to grow up and be poor like you!’ He was eating a bowl of cereal. I didn’t realize how wildly offensive that was!”

Lisa Marie and Danny Keough have also remained close over the years. The singer-songwriter told Rolling Stone of Keough in 2003, “He’s my absolute best friend in the world. The smartest thing I’ve ever done is have children with this man because I knew this is the one man I could be connected to for the rest of my life.”

Michael Jackson

In 1994, just twenty days after finalizing her divorce from her first husband, Danny Keough, Lisa Marie Presley married Michael Jackson. However, most of the fans did not believe in the highly celebrated union. Most thought their marriage was arranged to give the king of pop some credibility after he was accused of molesting a minor. But Lisa Marie and Michael Jackson denied those allegations, claiming that they are very much in love.

Lisa Marie first met Michael Jackson back when her father, Elvis Presley, introduced her to the Jackson 5. She was just a little kid then, but she managed to stay in touch with Jackson. Their relationship started in 1992 after allegations against Jackson became public. So it was pretty natural for Jackson to develop an emotional dependency on Lisa Marie. And such a close connection made her fall in love with him.

“I believed he didn’t do anything wrong, and that he was wrongly accused and, yes, I started falling for him. I wanted to save him. I felt that I could do it,” she said.

But despite such a wonderful beginning, their relationship didn’t last. Lisa Marie filed for a divorce in 1996 due to personal differences.

During her interview with Oprah Winfrey, she said that she was especially angry with Jackson after their marriage ended. Lisa Marie revealed that Jackson chose fame and drugs above her, and that hurt. She said: “We were so united, and then, at some point, he pushed me out.”

Nicolas Cage

Several years after her divorce with Michael Jackson, Lisa Marie Presley once again gave love another try. She was engaged to singer John Oszajca until she met actor Nicholas Cage and the sparks flew between the pair.

The two went on to have an infamously short-lived marriage, which ended in Nicolas Cage filing for divorce after two years of marriage. Speaking to Larry King in 2003, Lisa Marie reflected on her relationship with the Hollywood star, saying: “It looked attractive like I could be equal. Similar situations, similar backgrounds.”

“So we connected, we had a great connection. We were both a bit – we’re sort of these gypsy spirited, you know, tyrannical pirates. And one pirate marries another they will sink the ship basically is what it comes down to.”

She continued: “It was kind of one of those things where you marry someone hoping… to either stabilize [my life] or it’s going to, you know, accentuate all that was going on prior to what was problematic. So it kind of did the latter, that’s all.”

Michael Lockwood

Lisa Marie’s fourth marriage was to guitarist and music producer Michael Lockwood. Though it’s her longest relationship to date, it’s also the one that’s causing her the most trouble, since it ended up into a nasty legal battle that still goes on.

Lisa Marie and Michael Lockwood tied the knot in 2006 to a traditional Japanese ceremony in Kyoto, Japan. They went on to have a pair of twin daughters together in 2008: Finley Aaron Love and Harper Vivienne Ann.

Unfortunately, Lisa Marie filed for divorce for a fourth time in 2016, citing irreconcilable differences. The story did not end well, because the two got entangled in a court case over spousal support and the custody of the children.

Latest Stories

Dolly Parton looks down emotionally while speaking into a rhinestone-covered microphone during a candid moment on stage.

Dolly Parton Was So Broke When She First Moved to Nashville She Ate Leftover Room Service to Survive

Some people chase dreams. Dolly Parton chased survival. Long before the wigs, the theme park, and the billion-dollar legacy, Dolly was just a teenage girl in cheap shoes with a ...

Kelly Clarkson closes her eyes while singing into a microphone during her raw performance of Cody Johnson’s “When It Comes To You.”

Kelly Clarkson’s Cody Johnson Cover Reminded Folks What Country’s Supposed to Feel Like

Kelly Clarkson’s voice could melt asphalt in the middle of a Texas summer, and when she turned her sights on Cody Johnson‘s “When It Comes To You,” it wasn’t just ...

Connie Francis smiles with hands clasped in front of a pink backdrop and orchids, remembered for her timeless hit “Pretty Little Baby.”

Connie Francis, the Original Pop Icon Behind “Pretty Little Baby,” Dies at 87

She ruled the airwaves before most of us were born, and somehow, against all odds, Connie Francis was going viral on TikTok at 87. The pop powerhouse behind hits like ...

Luke Bryan performs with high energy on stage in a plaid shirt and cap, dividing fans over whether he's saving or ruining country music.

Why Some Country Fans Can’t Stand Luke Bryan and Others Say He Saved the Genre

Country fans don’t just listen, they debate. And if there’s one name that’s kept the whiskey flowing and keyboards clacking over the last decade, it’s Luke Bryan. Depending on who ...

Luke Bryan looks emotional during a heartfelt interview as he reflects on the personal tragedies of losing his brother and sister years apart.

Luke Bryan’s Brother and Sister Died Years Apart and He’s Still Carrying That Pain Today

Country music’s known for telling stories, but Luke Bryan’s life reads more like a ballad you never want to live through. Before the chart-toppers, before the sold-out stadium tours, before ...

Chris Stapleton and Miranda Lambert perform together in cowboy hats as their new duet “A Song to Sing” sparks mixed reactions from critics and fans.

Chris Stapleton and Miranda Lambert’s New Duet Slammed by Critics but Loved by Listeners

You’d think pairing two of the biggest voices in country music would set the world on fire. Instead, some critics are out here pouring cold water on what was supposed ...

More than 50 country legends and stars join together onstage at the Grand Ole Opry’s 100th celebration for a surprise performance of “Will the Circle Be Unbroken.”

Opry 100 Crowd Thought It Was Over Then 50 Country Legends Sang “Will the Circle Be Unbroken”

Thought the show was over? Not even close. The Grand Ole Opry’s 100th anniversary celebration already had fans floating on a high of nostalgia, surprise collaborations, and once-in-a-lifetime performances. But ...

Chris Stapleton performing onstage in a cowboy hat and black suit while playing guitar, tied to his big $1 million donation to help Texas families after devastating floods.

Chris Stapleton Steps Up to Help Texas Families After Devastating Floods With Big Donation

When the waters rise, real country shows up. Texas got hit with a storm over Fourth of July weekend that nobody saw coming, a wall of rain that turned the ...

Beyoncé performing in a white rhinestone outfit and cowboy hat during her Cowboy Carter Tour, amid news her unreleased music and setlists were stolen from a car in Atlanta.

Beyoncé’s Unreleased Music Stolen From Car in Atlanta Along With Cowboy Carter Tour Plans and Setlists

Well, here we go. Beyoncé might want to saddle up that golden horse of hers because this Cowboy Carter circus just keeps getting wilder, and not in a way that’ll ...

Darius Rucker passionately singing on stage before walking off after four songs and refunding fans when he lost his voice in Atlantic City.

Darius Rucker Walks Off Stage After 4 Songs Says “I Can’t Sing Anymore” and Refunds Fans

Sometimes the road just knocks the wind right out of you, or in Darius Rucker‘s case, it takes your voice and leaves you standing there, hat in hand, with nothing ...