The death of Lisa Marie Presley has shocked the entire world.
The 54 year old daughter of Elvis Presley, the King of Rock ‘n Roll, passed away today after suffering a full cardiac arrest at her home in Calabasas, California.
Paramedics issued CPR and administered an adrenaline shot to restart her heart before taking her to a local hospital where she was induced into a coma and placed on life support.
She passed away shortly thereafter.
Of course, her tragic death is all the more shocking after she was seen at the Golden Globes just two nights ago.
She, along with her mother Priscilla, were in attendance in support of Elvis, the new Baz Luhrmann Elvis biopic starring Austin Butler, Tom Hanks, Olivia DeJonge and more.
On the red carpet, Lisa Marie praised Butler’s portrayal of her father, calling it mind-blowing:
“It was mind-blowing. Truly mind-blowing. I really didn’t know what to do with myself after I saw it.
I had to take, like, five days to process it because it was so incredible and so spot on and just so authentic that, yeah, I can’t even describe what it meant.“
Later on in the evening, when Butler took home the Golden Globe for Best Male Performance in a Motion Picture Drama, he specifically thanks Lisa Marie and Priscilla in his speech:
“Oh man, all my words are leaving me… I just am so grateful right now, I’m in this room full of my heroes. Brad, I love you… Quentin, I printed out the ‘Pulp Fiction’ script when I was 12. I cannot believe I’m here right now.
I just want to thank the Hollywood Foreign Press for this honor. I will also say to my fellow nominees, you have turned in the most beautiful, profound work, and I am so honored and proud to be listed among you.
I owe this to a bold, visionary filmmaker who allowed me the experience to take risks and I always knew I would be supported. I love you, Baz Luhrmann.
Thank you for believing in me in those moments that I didn’t even believe in myself. I’m so grateful to you. I also want to thank my dance partner, the greatest dance partner I could have ever hoped for, Mr. Tom Hanks.
The Presley family… thank you for opening your hearts, your memories, your home to me… Lisa Marie, Priscilla, I love you forever.”
He went on to thank his family as well as the producers and Elvis Presley himself:
“You were an icon and a rebel and I love you so much… you are remembered and I will never forget.”
But perhaps even more heartwarming, are Butler’s words about the very first time he met the Presley family.
As it turns out, he met them after the movie had been finished, as he explained in a Hollywood Reporter roundtable featuring Adam Sandler, Colin Farrell, Brendan Fraser and more.
He explained that he didn’t quite understand the weight of the role until he met Lisa Marie, and he talked with her for hours while sitting on her father’s bed at Graceland:
“It hit home when I first met Lisa Marie because I didn’t meet her until after the film. And she hugged me with tears in her eyes, and she just said, ‘Thank you.’
Then she took me upstairs and we went into Elvis’ bedroom and just sat on his bed and just talked for hours.
When you realize that he’s this guy that has been either thought of as this icon, godlike figure, or people just see him as this Halloween costume… and then it dawns on you that he’s a father, and he’s a son and he’s a husband. That responsibility is so huge.”
Well said, Austin… well said.
Lisa would share a photo with Austin to her Instagram, calling their hang the first time she smiled in two years.
Her son passed away by suicide two years ago:
“I do believe that this may be my first smile in 2 years.”
An ode to the healing power of art.
Here’s the full conversation:
