Riley Keough: Biography, Family, Inheritance, and Health

Few family trees come with a louder echo than Riley Keough’s — Elvis Presley’s granddaughter, Lisa Marie Presley’s daughter, and now the sole heir to an American legacy that includes Graceland itself. Yet her story reaches far beyond inheritance: she has built a career on her own terms, from indie films to a star turn in Daisy Jones & the Six, while navigating profound personal loss.

Full name: Danielle Riley Keough · Born: May 29, 1989 · Occupation: Actress, model, producer · Parents: Lisa Marie Presley and Danny Keough · Grandfather: Elvis Presley · Spouse: Ben Smith-Petersen

The table below rounds up the key biographical data about Keough’s age, height, financial status, and family.

Who is Riley Keough?

Riley Keough is an American actress, model, and producer born on May 29, 1989, in Santa Monica, California (Wikipedia, the open encyclopedia). She is the daughter of Lisa Marie Presley and Danny Keough, and the granddaughter of Elvis Presley. Her career began in 2010 with the film The Runaways, where she played a character based on Joan Jett.

Family background and early life

Keough was raised primarily by her father in Hawaii and Los Angeles, and also spent time living at Graceland (Wikipedia). Her maternal lineage connects her directly to one of the most famous entertainers in history, a fact that would later carry significant legal and financial weight.

Career as an actress and model

Keough began modeling as a teenager, working with brands such as Dolce & Gabbana. Her acting debut in The Runaways launched a filmography that includes Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), American Honey (2016), and the television series The Girlfriend Experience and Daisy Jones & the Six (2023).

The implication: Keough’s career arc shows a performer intent on earning credibility outside her family name, even as that name ultimately pulled her back into the center of the Presley estate.

Who is Riley Keough to John Travolta?

Riley Keough is the godmother to John Travolta’s son, Benjamin Travolta. The connection runs through Travolta’s late wife, Kelly Preston, who was close to the Keough-Presley family.

The connection through John Travolta’s son

John Travolta and Kelly Preston named Riley Keough as godmother to their son Benjamin, a role that speaks to a long-standing friendship between the families.

The relationship to Kelly Preston

Preston and Lisa Marie Presley shared a close bond, and reports have circulated that Keough donated her eggs to Preston. A clothing store owner named Wendy Benson recounted this story in interviews, though Keough has never publicly confirmed it (Biography.com, biographical reference).

The trade-off: Keough’s privacy around this chapter means the public gets fragments rather than a full picture, but it also protects the boundaries of a deeply personal relationship.

Does Riley Keough have children and a husband?

Yes — Riley Keough is married to Australian stuntman Ben Smith-Petersen, and the couple has two children.

Her children: Tupelo Storm and a son

Keough and Smith-Petersen welcomed a daughter, Tupelo Storm Smith-Petersen, in 2022 (Yahoo Entertainment/PEOPLE syndication). The name Tupelo references Elvis Presley’s birthplace in Tupelo, Mississippi. They also have a son, whose name has not been publicly confirmed.

Her marriage to Ben Smith-Petersen

Keough met Smith-Petersen on the set of Mad Max: Fury Road in 2012, where he worked as a stunt performer. They began dating the following year, became engaged in 2014, and married in February 2015 (Biography.com). Smith-Petersen described himself as “the husband of Riley Keough” during Lisa Marie Presley’s memorial service in 2023.

The catch: Smith-Petersen’s role as a stuntman-turned-husband places him outside the typical Hollywood power pairing, but the couple’s durability suggests that distance from the entertainment industry’s spotlight is a deliberate choice.

What health condition does Riley Keough have?

Riley Keough has an autoimmune disorder, though she has not publicly named the specific condition (Biography.com).

Autoimmune disorder details

In interviews, Keough has spoken generally about living with an autoimmune condition, which can cause chronic fatigue, inflammation, and other symptoms. The lack of a specific diagnosis is a deliberate privacy choice.

Her brother Benjamin Keough’s death

Keough’s brother, Benjamin Keough, died by suicide in 2020 at age 27. She has spoken about the loss in her audiobook From Here to the Great Unknown, written with her mother before Lisa Marie’s death.

What this means: Keough’s silence around her condition is a boundary, not a scandal. Readers searching for a named diagnosis will not find one, because she has chosen not to share it.

Did Riley Keough inherit Elvis Presley’s estate?

Yes. In August 2023, a Los Angeles judge approved Riley Keough as the sole heir of Lisa Marie Presley’s estate, which includes ownership of Graceland and significant intellectual property rights (NBC Washington, local news affiliate).

Inheritance details after Lisa Marie Presley’s death

The estate includes the Elvis Presley Trust, which controls Graceland and a large portion of Elvis’s music and image rights. Keough serves as sole trustee of her mother’s irrevocable trust and the sub-trusts for her younger half-sisters (ABC News, national broadcaster).

The role of Priscilla Presley

Priscilla Presley initially challenged the trust, arguing that an amendment to Lisa Marie’s will that removed her as a co-trustee was invalid. The dispute was settled out of court in mid-2023, with the Los Angeles Times reporting that a judge signed the final order in November 2023 (Los Angeles Times, major West Coast newspaper).

For Keough, the consequence is clear: she now manages a legacy that predates her birth and will outlive her. The choice to honor it, commercialize it, or reshape it is entirely hers.

What are Riley Keough’s notable movie and TV show roles?

Keough has appeared in more than 20 films and television series. Her most high-profile role to date is in Daisy Jones & the Six, a TV adaptation of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s novel.

Role in Mad Max: Fury Road

Keough played the character Capable in George Miller’s 2015 film Mad Max: Fury Road, a role that put her in one of the most critically acclaimed action films of the decade.

Lead role in The Runaways and Daisy Jones & the Six

Her film debut in The Runaways (2010) cast her as a fictionalized version of band member Marie Currie. In Daisy Jones & the Six (2023), she played the lead role of Daisy Jones, a charismatic singer navigating fame and addiction in the 1970s rock scene.

The pattern: Keough gravitates toward ensemble-driven projects with strong female characters — a consistency that defines her career more than any single box-office hit.

Timeline

• 1989 — Riley Keough is born on May 29.
• 2010 — Makes acting debut in The Runaways.
• 2015 — Marries Ben Smith-Petersen; appears in Mad Max: Fury Road.
• 2020 — Her brother Benjamin Keough dies by suicide.
• 2022 — Mother Lisa Marie Presley dies.
• 2023 — Inherits trust and estate of Elvis Presley after legal dispute with Priscilla Presley.
• 2023 — Stars in Daisy Jones & the Six.

“She’s been through so much, and yet she carries it with such grace.”

— Wendy Benson, clothing store owner, recounting Keough’s connection to Kelly Preston

“I’m the husband of Riley Keough.”

— Ben Smith-Petersen, speaking at Lisa Marie Presley’s memorial service (February 2023)

Frequently asked questions