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Elvis Presley’s granddaughter is seeking to block the upcoming sale at foreclosure auction of the rock ‘n’ roll legend’s historic Graceland mansion, calling it “fraudulent.”
Actress Riley Keough, known for her roles in… Magic Mike And the successful mini-series daisy Jones And The Six, She became the new owner of Graceland House in Memphis, Tennessee, after her mother, Presley’s daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, died last year.
Keogh was appointed sole conservator of the family estate after a legal battle with her grandmother, Priscilla Presley, 78.
Elvis Presley bought the property for £102,500 in 1957 – the same year he released hits such as “All Shook Up” and “Blue Christmas” – and lived there until his death in 1977.
NBC News Keough’s lawsuit reportedly claims the pending sale of Graceland is fraudulent.
A temporary restraining order on the sale was issued on Monday (May 20), according to Keogh’s attorney, and a judicial hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.
According to the legal notice, Lisa Marie Presley allegedly signed a deed of trust in 2018 to secure a $3.8 million (£2.9 million) loan through a Missouri company called Naussany Investments and Private Lending, using Graceland as collateral.
The company is now reportedly claiming that Lisa Marie did not repay the money before her death, aged 54, last year.
However, Keough’s lawsuit, filed on May 15, claims that her mother’s signature on the documents is forged, that the loan never happened, that Nosani Investments is not a real company, and that a notary for the loan did not authenticate it.
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In a statement to NBC News, Elvis Presley Enterprises, the organization that manages Graceland and the assets of the Elvis Presley Trust, indicated that the announced sale is a scheme.
“Elvis Presley Enterprises can confirm that these claims are fraudulent. There is no foreclosure sale. Simply put, the countersuit that has been filed is intended to stop the fraud,” a company spokesperson said.
The Independent Could not find contact information for Naussany Investments.
Lisa Marie inherited the Graceland estate after the rock icon’s death, and it opened to the public as a museum in 1982. The 13.8-acre estate attracts about half a million visitors each year, as fans make a pilgrimage to honor one of America’s most important musicians.
Tours of the property give visitors the chance to see Presley’s living room, kitchen, TV room, pool room, meditation garden, his father’s office, and the famous jungle room filled with family heirlooms and furniture that the star called the space. “The Den” was initially purchased in an attempt to spite his father.
It comes complete with a built-in rock waterfall, green carpet and polished wood furniture, said to be inspired by Presley’s time in Hawaii.