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Split image of Riley Keough next to one of her mom Lisa Marie Presley with Michael Jackson© Getty

Riley Keough recalls growing up with former stepdad Michael Jackson as she addresses allegations against him

The "Thriller" singer was married to Lisa Marie Presley from 1994 to 1996

Beatriz Colon
Beatriz Colon - New York
New York WriterNew York
January 16, 2025
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Riley Keough is doing some reflections on her often "chaotic" childhood growing up with Lisa Marie Presley as a mom.

The Daisy Jones & the Six actress' late mom has been top of her mind as of late, following the recent release of her posthumous memoir, From Here to the Great Unknown, which she helped finish, plus the two-year anniversary of her passing this past January 12.

And as she continues to reflect on her mother's life and recall her own childhood, she opened up about one big part of it: when Michael Jackson was her stepfather.

WATCH: Lisa Marie Presley's last on-screen interview with daughter Riley Keough

In Lisa Marie's memoir, she recalls leaving Riley's dad Danny Keough, with whom she also shared her late son Benjamin Keough, for Michael in 1994, and marrying him 20 days after her divorce was finalized.

At the time, Riley was five years old, and during an appearance on Alex Cooper's Call her Daddy episode, he opened up about what it was all like. First talking about her mom, she said: "She was extremely private, she hated talking to the press, she didn't want to be famous, she was born into a situation she really didn't enjoy and growing up in the world we grew up in was very private, very secretive, everything was a security issue."

"It was just a lot of high security, for going somewhere it was lots of people following us, and very intense and chaotic," she added.

Lisa Marie Presley and Michael Jackson pose at the "Chateau de Versailles" on September 5, 1994 in Versailles, France© Getty
Lisa Marie and Michael in 1994

Asked how her life got "even crazier" once the "Thriller" singer came into the picture, she explained: "Our life wasn't crazier because that already existed, like the press and the paparazzi and all that, but her life, I think when she saw Michael's life, there were things that he had that she didn't have, like she didn't have a plane at the time, things like that."

MORE: Riley Keough supports rarely-seen twin sisters on 2nd anniversary of mom Lisa Marie Presley's death

MORE: Riley Keough reveals 'no boundaries' parenting style for baby daughter inspired by famous family

Riley noted: "She then was like, 'I should have a plane and I should have this and that,' so our life in that way kind of got bigger."

Diane Sawyer interviewing Lisa Marie Presley, Michael Jackson on the ABC tv series 'Primetime Live' 1995© Getty
The former couple sitting for an interview with Diane Sawyer

She went on: "Because before that she was with my dad, and their life was very simple — not with the press and the craziness — but in terms of at home, she didn't have ten million assistants, she didn't need all that, and I think that changed."

MORE: Priscilla Presley and Riley Keough have emotional reunion in honor of Lisa Marie Presley

Lisa Marie Presley At Michael Jackson Concert, Wembley, London, Britain - 1997© Getty Images
The late singer with Riley and Benjamin at a Michael concert in 1997

Also asked what might have been the most "extravagant" thing the late King of Pop did for the kids, she shared: "There was a lot of closing down things for us, it was kind of the only way that our family could do things, like if we wanted to go to a toy store or something like that," though noted: "I don't know if it was necessarily done for us or just for our family situation where we had to shut the toy stores and stuff."

MORE: Riley Keough admits her 'wild life' has turned her into an 'untraditional' mom to daughter Tupelo

Lisa Marie Presley with her four children© Instagram
Lisa Marie with her four children

Alex also asked about how the allegations of child molestation against Michael first swirled around that time, and whether anyone in her life told Riley about it. "I was never told anything. And it's not something I ever asked as an adult … I think it just was what it was, it just never came to mind," she said, adding: "The way my parents parented was very much like, we don't fight around the kids, we don't say anything around them," and maintained: "We didn't know anything, we didn't know about the allegations, we had no awareness of that."

Riley ultimately emphasized: "The one thing I know is that they were in love, and that their love for one another was genuine, because I was there, and I remember. "

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