Riley Keough’s husband reveals that they welcomed a daughter last year

Lisa Marie Presley was buried at Graceland, close to her son Benjamin Keough and her father Elvis Presley. Many people came out for the memorial service in Memphis, including Sarah Ferguson, Austin Butler, Kaia Gerber, Baz Luhrmann and more. Riley Keough, Lisa Marie’s oldest living child, was there with her Australian husband Ben Smith-Petersen. They were married in 2014, but it was all pretty quiet. Ben spoke at his mother-in-law’s service and he revealed that he and Riley had welcomed a daughter last year. Lisa Marie was a grandmother.

Riley Keough is a mom. During a memorial service for Lisa Marie Presley at Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee, on Sunday morning, the actress’ husband, Ben Smith-Petersen, revealed that the pair are parents to a daughter while sharing a tribute on behalf of his wife, who was seated in the front row.

“I hope I can love my daughter the way you loved me, the way you loved my brother and my sisters. Thank you for giving me strength, my heart, my empathy, my courage, my sense of humor, my manners, my temper, my wildness, my tenacity. I’m a product of your heart, my sisters are a product of your heart, my brother is a product of your heart,” said Smith-Petersen of his mother-in-law, reading the words of his wife.

Smith-Petersen, who married 33-year-old Keough eight years ago, did not elaborate further on any details, including specifics on when their daughter was born or her name. A rep for Keough confirmed to PEOPLE that the couple welcomed a baby girl in 2022.

Keough, who is the daughter of the late Presley and musician Danny Keough — met Smith-Petersen while filming Mad Max: Fury Road in 2012. The two were briefly introduced on set but didn’t start dating until a year later while doing re-shoots in Australia.

[From People]

I’m so gutted for Riley. She seems like such a low-key, no-drama person. She didn’t even announce her pregnancy or the birth last year. She lost her brother in 2020 and now her mother. I hope Ben and their friends are supporting her and surrounding her right now. I also wonder if she’s going to get involved in the custodial dispute over her half-sisters, Finley and Harper.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

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17 Responses to “Riley Keough’s husband reveals that they welcomed a daughter last year”

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  1. Mia4s says:

    Wow if that’s not the sadness and the joy of life in a nutshell. Beautiful and heartbreaking.

    And while she clearly wanted to be the one delivering the speech I hope she is not hard on herself. Her husband did a beautiful job and the last thing her mother would have wanted would be more pain to her daughter. Hopefully they can all have some peace.

  2. Abby says:

    Well I didn’t expect to tear up reading the news this morning. My heart breaks for her. What a beautiful speech.

    I lost my mom when I was 25 (she was 56), and she never got to meet my son and daughter. I feel this speech with everything in me. I’m wishing her well as she grieves her loss.

  3. cabooklover says:

    There’s not going to be a custody battle, even the article you linked to states that Danny Keough has no legal standing.

    • Magick Wanda says:

      Danny Keough is not the father in question. His children with Lisa Marie, Riley and Ben, are adults. Ben took his own life two years ago. The father in question regarding custody would be Michael Lockwood who is the father of Harper and Finley, the 14 yo twins. I don’t think there will be a custody battle over them, at least I hope not. They’ve already been through a vitriolic custody battle between their parents, they might not do well if there is one between their father and grandmother.

  4. Kebbie says:

    I hope she’s doing okay. There’s been so much tragedy in that family. It’s a blessing her mom at least got to meet her grand baby before she passed.

    Also, this post assumes she was pregnant, but I’m not entirely sure that’s the case. She was photographed all throughout last year (she shot Daisy Jones and the Six and then did promo for Elvis) looking the same. The white dress photos here are from November 2021 and she was photographed shortly before and shortly after in tighter clothes looking the same.

    • Lucky Charm says:

      My first baby was due late June. March 17th I was in a parade. After she was born some of the people with me in the parade were surprised I’d had a baby, because I “wasn’t pregnant two months ago!” Yes, I was, but I just didn’t have a bump and was still wearing regular clothes. One of the advantages of being tall, I guess.

      • AMA1977 says:

        Me too, I’m tall and long-waisted and with my first pregnancy, I was in my regular clothes (pants a size larger because my waist widened slightly the minute I tested positive) until 5 months along. She might have carried their baby and just not been photographed “looking” pregnant.

    • Sudie says:

      She most likely had the baby in late 2022 because Daisy Jones starting filming late 2021 and finished May 2022. She could have been 3-5 months pregnant at the end of filming and had the her baby in late fall early winter. Regardless, I’m very happy for her. Looking forward to Daisy Jones series.

  5. Flora Kitty says:

    I wish them well with their daughter. I’m not criticizing adoption, but if this child is adopted. I hope that they didn’t adopt this baby because Scientology pressured a Sea Org member who didn’t get an abortion to give up their baby or else. (That has been rumored as to how Tom Cruise & Nicole Kidman adopted Isabella & Connor.)

    • pottymouth pup says:

      I thought LisaMarie quietly left CO$ and that her kids escaped with her

      • Shutterbug says:

        There have been rumors over the years that Riley returned to Scientology – but I am not sure what the actual truth is as there is not a whole lot of information out there.

  6. Julia K says:

    Depends on body build, some women just don’t show until the very end. My daughter’s skating teacher was on the ice wearing her usual warm up clothes until she delivered and then went home wearing her pre pregnancy jeans. Riley could easily have pulled this off with a combination of inherited body build and calorie counting.

  7. Steph says:

    I could have sworn I saw an article about Riley expecting last year, and I couldn’t find anything when I tried looking a few months ago. Good for her for keeping things private, I’m gutted for her loss.

  8. Case says:

    I’m so sad for her. She really does come across as a nice and low-key person. She has a new show coming out soon, and apparently a new baby. It should be such a celebratory time and now she’s mourning the loss of her mother after just losing her brother. It’s terrible.

  9. S says:

    – The speech could mean ‘when’ I have a daughter
    – There’s couple of photos that one of her friends put on insta while ago after Ben passed – they’re known Scientologists so it’s rumoured she returned
    – It’s great her marriage is still going, they’re from different worlds literally and figuratively!

    Am I missing something, even before Ben passed, why is she hardly ever smiling in pictures? Is that a young Hollywood starlet thing?

    • msd says:

      “A rep for Keough confirmed to PEOPLE that the couple welcomed a baby girl in 2022”

      Not sure about $cientology, hopefully not and the kids got out when their mother did.

      Marriage looks solid and happy. I shouldn’t be surprised but I sort of am as it seemed fast and they were quite young.

      She smiles, it’s fine.