Riley Keough shares nod to grandfather Elvis and late brother with daughter's name

Naomi Clarke, PA Entertainment Reporter

Riley Keough has revealed her daughter’s name is a tribute to her grandfather Elvis Presley and her late brother Benjamin.

The Daisy Jones & The Six actress welcomed a baby girl, named Tupelo Storm Smith-Petersen, via a surrogate in August 2022 with her husband Ben Smith-Petersen.

In an interview with Vanity Fair, where she stars on their front cover, Keough reflected on motherhood, as well as the difficulties she has faced recently, including the death of mother Lisa Marie Presley in January.

She told the US magazine that her daughter’s first name Tupelo is a tribute to her grandfather’s birthplace in Mississippi, while Storm is the same middle name as her late brother, who died by suicide in 2020.

Reflecting on choosing the name, she said: “It’s funny because we picked her name before the Elvis movie.

“I was like, ‘This is great because it’s not really a well-known word or name in relation to my family — it’s not like Memphis or something.

“Then when the Elvis movie came out, it was like, Tupelo this and Tupelo that. I was like, ‘Oh, no’. But it’s fine.”

Keough explained she felt going down the surrogacy route was the “best choice” for her due to undergoing treatments for Lyme disease, adding: “I think it’s a very cool, selfless, and incredible act that these women do to help other people.”

The actress has taken on many roles in her lifetime, including musical biopic The Runaways and action feature Mad Max: Fury Road, but now wants to embrace the role of motherhood.

“This is the thing in my life so far that I have really wanted to, quote-unquote, get right”, she said.

“I don’t think you ever can be a perfect parent, but I would like to be the best mom for her that I can be. That’s very important to me.”

Reflecting on her own mother, she hailed her as a “one of a kind” and “unapologetically herself in every circumstance”.

She added: “People were just coming for her since she was born—wanting something from her and not being totally authentic. She had to develop very thick skin.

“She was a very powerful presence and extremely loving and extremely loyal and sort of a lioness — a fierce woman, and a really wonderful mother. I think that would be my summary because I’m her daughter. She was the best mom.”

Keough was recently officially named as the sole trustee of her mother's estate, the only child of Elvis Presley, after having to engage in a legal dispute with her grandmother Priscilla over Graceland.

She explained that after her mother died there was “a lot of chaos in every aspect of our lives” and it took them some time to resolve aspects with the family and the business.

Keough confirmed “clarity has been had” with her grandmother, adding: “Things with Grandma will be happy. They’ve never not been happy.

“There was a bit of upheaval, but now everything’s going to be how it was.

“She’s a beautiful woman, and she was a huge part of creating my grandfather’s legacy and Graceland. It’s very important to her. He was the love of her life.

“Anything that would suggest otherwise in the press makes me sad because, at the end of the day, all she wants is to love and protect Graceland and the Presley family and the legacy.

“That’s her whole life. So it’s a big responsibility she has tried to take on. None of that stuff has really ever been a part of our relationship prior. She’s just been my grandma.”

Addressing speculation that her grandmother might not be buried at Graceland, Keough said she does not know where the “drama” has come from but confirmed Priscilla is welcome to be buried there if she would like to be.