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

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

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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

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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

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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.