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  4. Lisa Marie Presley was engaged 5 times and married 4 times. Here is what to know about her relationships with Michael Jackson, Nicolas Cage and other husbands.

Lisa Marie Presley was engaged 5 times and married 4 times. Here is what to know about her relationships with Michael Jackson, Nicolas Cage and other husbands.

Eve Crosbie   

Lisa Marie Presley was engaged 5 times and married 4 times. Here is what to know about her relationships with Michael Jackson, Nicolas Cage and other husbands.
Lisa Marie Presley with husbands Danny Keough, Michael Jackson, and Nicolas Cage.Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images, Pool ARNAL/PAT/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images, Vince Bucci/Getty Images
  • Lisa Marie Presley was engaged five times and married four times before her death at the age of 54.
  • Her husbands include the musicians Danny Keough, Michael Jackson, and Michael Lockwood.

Presley got married for the first time at the age of 20 to musician Danny Keough, who she met during a stint in rehab.

Presley got married for the first time at the age of 20 to musician Danny Keough, who she met during a stint in rehab.
Lisa Marie Presley and Danny Keough at "The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear" Los Angeles screening on June 13, 1991.      Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images

Presley began dating Chicago-based musician Danny Keough in 1985 when she was 17 and the couple wed three years later on October 3, 1988. Keough was 23.

When they first met, Presley had recently dropped out of high school and begun abusing illegal drugs while Keough was working as a touring jazz musician and also dealing with substance abuse issues, according to The US Sun.

The two reportedly first met at a rehab facility run by the Church of Scientology's Celebrity Center in West Hollywood in Los Angeles, California, and decided to tie the knot there too. Just nine witnesses watched them exchange vows, including Presley's mother, Priscilla Presley, per Pop Culture.

The couple welcomed two children during their six-year marriage: daughter Riley Keough and son Benjamin Keough.

A post shared by Riley Keough (@rileykeough)

 

The couple's eldest child, Danielle Riley Keough, was born on May 29, 1989, seven months after their wedding. She has gone on to become an actor and garnered several award nominations since making her debut in "The Runaways" (2010) about the 1970s rock band of the same name. 

She will next appear in another drama about rock 'n' roll, "Daisy Jones & The Six," which is based on a book about a fictional rock band by author Taylor Jenkins Reid.

On October 21, 1992, Presley and Keough welcomed a second child together, a son named Benjamin Storm Keough. Before his death by suicide at the age of 27 in 2020, he was also pursuing a career in acting.

Even though Presley went on to leave Keough in May 1994, when their children were 4 and 18 months old, respectively, she later reflected on their time together, calling the musician her "absolute best friend in the world."

Per Elvis Australia, she told Rolling Stone in a 2003 cover story: "The smartest thing I've ever done is have children with this man, because I knew this is the one man I could be connected to for the rest of my life."

And indeed they were. Keough was not only the best man at Presley's fourth wedding, but the two also appeared to be living together before Presley's untimely death at the age of 54 on January 12. 

According to TMZ, Keough was the one who performed CPR until paramedics arrived at her house in Calabasas, California.

20 days after her divorce from Keough was finalized, Presley wed Michael Jackson in a secret ceremony in the Dominican Republic.

20 days after her divorce from Keough was finalized, Presley wed Michael Jackson in a secret ceremony in the Dominican Republic.
Lisa Marie Presley and Michael Jackson pose at The Chateau de Versailles in Paris, France, on September 5, 1994.      Stephane Cardinale/Sygma via Getty Images

Explaining why she ended her first marriage, Presley told Marie Claire in 2007 that it was partly because she and Keough faced a "power struggle" due to the disparity in their respective wealth.

"It is hard for a man to be with a woman who is stronger, wealthier," she said. "So in my mind, I'm thinking, I know, I'll get with someone more compatible. I wasn't thinking what everyone else was thinking, which was that I must have been out of my fucking mind."

Presley then married embattled pop star Michael Jackson on May 26, 1994. At the time, Jackson was 35 and had recently had a child molestation accusation leveled against him for the first time.

Presley was 25, although she had first met Jackson at one of her late father's concerts in Las Vegas in 1975 when she was 7 and Jackson was still a member of the Jackson 5.

The two kept their marriage a secret for almost three months, and when they finally did confirm the rumors, many believed it was a publicity stunt designed to help rehabilitate Jackson's image.

Presley released a statement to the press that read: "My married name is Mrs. Lisa Marie Presley-Jackson."

"My marriage to Michael Jackson took place in a private ceremony outside the United States weeks ago," she continued. "I am very much in love with Michael, I dedicate my life to being his wife. I understand and support him. We both look forward to raising a family."

The following month, the two made their first official outing as a couple, appearing on the MTV Video Music Awards stage where they shared a kiss before Jackson said: "Just think, nobody thought this would last."

During their marriage, Presley appeared semi-nude alongside Jackson in the music video for his 1995 single, "You Are Not Alone."

However, Presley and Jackson did not have children together, and split in January 1996, citing irreconcilable differences.

However, Presley and Jackson did not have children together, and split in January 1996, citing irreconcilable differences.
Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley during the 12th Annual MTV Video Music Awards in 1995.      Kevin Mazur/WireImage

"Leaving my first marriage, for the person that I left it for — that was probably the biggest mistake of my life," Presley reflected in a 2007 interview with Marie Claire, 11 years after she and Jackson divorced.

She also told Oprah Winfrey in 2010 that she felt "disposable" to Jackson as he was so insistent that she have his baby, but also threatened to father children with another woman.

The very same year of their divorce, Jackson married dermatology assistant Debbie Rowe, who was six months pregnant with Jackson's first child. They two went on to have two more children before the singer's death in 2009.

"She was there the whole time telling him that she would [have his child]," Presley told Winfrey. "He would tell me, 'Debbie said she'll do it.' That's how he knew to handle it, 'If you're not going to do it, this person will.'"

Presley was then briefly engaged to musician John Oszajca. However, they broke off their engagement in 2001.

Presley was then briefly engaged to musician John Oszajca. However, they broke off their engagement in 2001.
Lisa Marie Presley and John Oszajca in New York City on September 13, 1999.      Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images

In the late 1990s, after her divorce from Jackson, Presley became engaged for the third time in her life to Hawaiian-born singer-songwriter John Oszajca.

People reported that they got engaged in late 1998, while according to a BBC News article, Oszajca asked Presley's mother, Priscilla Presley, for her daughter's hand in marriage before popping the question right before Christmas in 1999.

At the time, a spokesperson for the couple said they hadn't set a date for the nuptials.

However, Presley and Oszajca never made it down the aisle and split up in 2001.

Presley tied the knot for the third time with actor Nicolas Cage, who she met while still engaged to Oszajca.

Presley tied the knot for the third time with actor Nicolas Cage, who she met while still engaged to Oszajca.
Lisa Marie Presley and Nicolas Cage with Johnny Ramone, whose 52nd birthday party brought them together a year earlier, in September 2001.      Richard Corkery/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images

Presley met Cage — who was then known for his Elvis tribute film, "Honeymoon in Vegas" (1992) as well as "Wild at Heart" (1990) in which he covered "Love Me Tender" — at Ramones guitarist Johnny Ramone's 52nd birthday in October 2000. At the time she was still engaged to Oszajca.

Cage himself was married to Patricia Arquette at the time but told Barbara Walters in 2003 that he "was thunderstruck" by Presley when they locked eyes at the party.

Cage and Arquette separated in early 2001, and Presley split with her former fiancé that April. A month later, Presley and Cage made her relationship public, attending a Tom Jones concert in Las Vegas together, according to People.

However, their romance had many ups and downs and they reportedly called things off more than once before finally marrying in a private ceremony in Hawaii in 2002. While some reports said the two married on August 10, others claim it was actually August 16, the 25th anniversary of Elvis' death.

Presley's marriage to Cage lasted just over 100 days, but their complicated divorce meant they remained legally married up until 2004.

Presley
Nicolas Cage and Lisa Marie Presley arrive at the premiere of the film "Captain Corelli's Mandolin" on August 13, 2001.      Vince Bucci/Getty Images

Cage filed for divorce on November 25, 2002, a mere three-and-a-half months after their wedding day.

According to People, legal papers filed in 2004 said that the couple "amicably resolved" their divorce.

As a result, neither received spousal support and maintained their assets acquired prior to their marriage. However, the lengthy legal proceedings to acquire their divorce actually outlasted their marriage four times over.

Appearing on Larry King Live in 2003, Presley opened up about her short-lived marriage to Cage, saying that while they had a "great connection," they weren't well matched in the end as they were too similar.

She said: "So we connected, we had a great connection. We were both a bit — we're sort of these gypsy spirited, you know, tyrannical pirates."

"And one pirate marries another they will sink the ship basically is what it comes down to," she continued. "It was kind of one of those things where you marry someone hoping... to either stabilize my life or it's going to, you know, accentuate all that was going on prior to what was problematic. So it kind of did the latter, that's all."

Elsewhere in the interview, Presley defended Cage and said that he wasn't the "Elvis freak," he had been made out to be in the press.

"He got annoyed, you know, and I got annoyed. I was like how can they," she said referring to the media who presented him that way. "They have to make it something."

Two months after his divorce from Presley was finalized, Cage married Alice Kim in July 2004. Together they welcomed a son named Kal-El, in 2005 and remained married up until 2016.

Presley's fourth marriage to musician Michael Lockwood was her longest, lasting from 2006 to 2016.

Presley
Lisa Marie Presley and Michael Lockwood in 2015.      Kevin Winter/Getty Images

On January 22, 2006, at the age of 37, Presley got married for a fourth and final time. She walked down the aisle with music producer Michael Lockwood, who she first began seeing three years prior while legally still married to Cage.

Their intimate wedding was held in Kyoto, Japan, according to People, and both her children and her first husband were in attendance. Keough served as best man to Lockwood.

Lockwood, who was 44 at the time, was listed as executive producer on Presley's 2005 album "Now What," and had also attended many red carpet events alongside his famous spouse before tying the knot.

Presley told Marie Claire that she considered Lockwood her "best friend" in the years following their union.

"I've gotten to the point in my life where I've chased all the crazies down," she told the publication.

"I was ready to stop the madness. At this age, I really appreciate having [a husband who is] a best friend. But you know, the other guys were fun. For a while."

With Lockwood, Presley had two more daughters, twins Finley and Harper. However, the couple split in 2016 before officially divorcing in 2021.

With Lockwood, Presley had two more daughters, twins Finley and Harper. However, the couple split in 2016 before officially divorcing in 2021.
Harper Vivienne Ann Lockwood, Lisa Marie Presley, Priscilla Presley, Riley Keough, and Finley Aaron Love Lockwood attend the Handprint Ceremony honoring Three Generations of Presleys at TCL Chinese Theatre on June 21, 2022.      Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic/Getty Images

On October 7, 2008, Presley and Lockwood gave birth to fraternal twin girls, Harper Vivienne Ann Lockwood and Finley Aaron Love Lockwood.

Their middle names were inspired by members of Presley's family, including her father Elvis, whose own middle name was Aaron, and her mother Priscilla, whose middle is Ann. Love was also the middle name of Presley's grandmother, Gladys Presley.

However, after 10 years together, Presley filed for divorce, citing "irreconcilable differences" and seeking full custody of their daughters, who were eight at the time.

According to E Online, things got ugly in their divorce proceedings when Presley accused Lockwood of possessing disturbing photos and videos of children on his computer in response to his request for spousal support.

An investigation into the accusations brought no charges but did result in the couple's children being placed in the temporary care of Presley's mom after being taken into protective custody by the Department of Child and Family Services in 2017.

Five years after their split, Presley and Lockwood's divorce was finalized in May 2021.

Following Presley's death, Lockwood told People that he was "reeling," but added that his priority right now is to look after his daughters while they grieve their mother.

He said: "The most important thing to me at this time is to take care of my daughters, making sure they always feel safe and loved."

The guitarist went on to praise the now-14-year-olds, noting that they will carry the "family's legacy."

Lockwood said: "Both of them have incredible spirit and they will carry our family's legacy on for the rest of their lives. Since they were born, Harper and Finley have brought me profound joy and I remain devoted to them. We ask for privacy at this incredibly difficult time."

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