Austin Butler put his heartbreak aside during Sunday night’s Critics’ Choice Awards on Jan. 15, 2023. The Elvis actor, 31, held his head high, as he walked the red carpet just days after The King’s only daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, died.
Austin was typically handsome during the event, which he attend with director Baz Luhrmann and costume designer Catherine Martin. The California-born actor looked slick in a black jacket with silk lapels. He unbuttoned an ebony shirt underneath, revealing a necklace that dangled down towards his chest.
Though a win would have been a touching tribute to Lisa Marie, the Once Upon A Time In Hollywood actor didn’t take home the award. The honor, instead, went to Brendan Fraiser for The Whale.
Austin admitted to being “shattered” at news of Lisa Marie’s death. “My heart is completely shattered for [her children] Riley [Keough], Finley [Lockwood], Harper and [mom] Priscilla at the tragic and unexpected loss of Lisa Marie,” a representative for Austin told HollywoodLife. “I am eternally grateful for the time I was lucky enough to be near her bright light and will forever cherish the quiet moments we shared. Her warmth, her love, and her authenticity will always be remembered.
Lisa Marie was a huge supporter of Austin, raving about his portrayal of the “Heartbreak Hotel” crooner. She was there to support him during the 2023 Golden Globes, which took place just two days before her death, and attended the Memphis premiere of the biopic back in Jun. 2022.
“Austin Butler channeled and embodied my father’s heart and soul beautifully,” she wrote in a May 2022 tweet. “In my humble opinion, his performance is unprecedented and FINALLY done accurately and respectfully.”
Priscilla Presley shared news of Lisa Marie’s death, not long after she was rushed to an L.A. hospital after suffering cardiac arrest on Jun. 12. She was just 54.
Lisa Marie’s model mother released a statement to the Associated Press, which read, “It is with a heavy heart that I must share the devastating news that my beautiful daughter Lisa Marie has left us. She was the most passionate strong and loving woman I have ever known.”