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Lisa Marie Presley's posthumous memoir, From Here to the Great Unknown, released today (October 8), unveils personal information about the star's life, including why she chose to keep her son Benjamin Keough's body on ice for two months following his untimely passing.
Riley Keough, daughter to Lisa Marie and sister to Benjamin (who died by suicide in 2020), sat down with People last month to discuss her mother's strong bond with her brother, revealing that she was never able to get over his death.
"My mom tried her best to find strength for me and my younger sisters after Ben died, but we knew how much pain she was in. My mom physically died from the after effects of her surgery, but we all knew she died of a broken heart."
Presley's memoir relays that she attempted to preserve her son's body for a few months before burying him so that she would have ample time to say goodbye, "the same way she'd done with her dad," the iconic Elvis Presley, who passed away when she was just 9 years old.
"There is no law in the state of California that you have to bury someone immediately."
Lisa Marie continued, writing that keeping his body around to "parent him" for a little while longer brought her comfort.
"That was part of why it took so long. I got so used to him, caring for him and keeping him there. I think it would scare the living f****** piss out of anybody else to have their son there like that. But not me. I felt so fortunate that there was a way that I could still parent him, delay it a bit longer so that I could become okay with laying him to rest."
Benjamin was eventually buried next to his grandfather at Graceland, and Lisa Marie, who died of a "small bowel obstruction" at age 54, joined them three years later.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 for support.
For more stories included in Presley's posthumous memoir check out: Lisa Marie Presley Recalls Sweet Memory With Elvis In New Posthumous Memoir.