Family at War: Lisa Marie’s Daughter Riley Believes Mom’s Ex-Husband Michael Lockwood Is a ‘Money-Grubber’ as Court Battle Rages
After saving Graceland from a scam artist and a challenge to the estate’s ownership from her own granny Priscilla Presley, Elvis’ granddaughter Riley Keough is now fending off ANOTHER money grab — this time from her late mom’s guitarist ex-husband, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Michael Lockwood, who divorced Riley’s mother, Lisa Marie Presley, in 2021 and fathered Riley’s 15-year-old half-sisters, Harper and Finley, is seeking $153,000 in legal fees, claiming his attorneys played a key role in helping to beat back an attempt by Riley’s granny Priscilla to seize the prized Memphis estate last year.
Following Lisa Marie’s 2023 death from bowel obstruction linked to years of drug abuse and weight loss medications, Priscilla challenged Riley’s standing as sole trustee of the Presley fortune, including Graceland, and the pair exchanged legal volleys before Riley ultimately agreed to give her grandmother a $1 million payout along with $400,000 in court fees.
But 63-year-old Lockwood, who split from Lisa Marie in 2016 after a ten-year marriage, claims his legal eagles were deeply involved in the process of securing that settlement — and he wants Riley to pick up the legal tab!
“From the outset, Michael and his counsel played a central role in helping keep the parties focused on resolving those issues with minimal court intervention,” his petition stated. “Michael was able to achieve his goal of ensuring the court issues were all resolved effectively and cost efficiently so Finley and Harper would have the financial resources their mother intended.”
But a source exclusively told RadarOnline.com that Riley, 35, despises her former stepdad and does not intend to cough up a penny for him or his lawyers!
Following their split, Lisa Marie and musician Lockwood fought bitterly in court for years over how much child support she would have to pay him for the twins, swapping ugly accusations.
They finally reached an agreement three months before Lisa Marie’s death, where she’d pay Lockwood, now wed to a Hollywood hairdresser, $6,200 a month — payments that have continued after her death even as Riley fought off a challenge by a company seeking to foreclose on Graceland — claiming Lisa Marie defaulted on a $500 million loan. The claim was withdrawn amid accusations of attempted fraud.
Now, the Daisy Jones & the Six star is wary of Lockwood, too. “Riley saw what Michael put her mother through with their nasty court fight all those years and believes he was just a moneygrubber,” a pal piped. “Now she feels like he’s just doing the same thing to her!”
Still, sources insist Riley adores her little sisters and looks after them financially. Together, the trio holds a 15 percent stake in Elvis Presley Enterprises, worth an estimated $500 million.
“Riley is making sure Harper and Finley never go wanting. In fact, she’s trying to grow the estate so their stake is worth even more,” dished a source. “She’s set to square off with Michael in court over his petition later this summer, and her goal is to take care of her sisters while making sure Michael reaps no benefit at all. It’s a family war!”
