The loss of a mother is undoubtedly one of the most difficult things that any child can go through. Riley Keough’s uncle Navarone Garcia opened up about how his niece, 33, has been helping her younger twin sisters Finley Aaron Love and Harper Vivienne Ann Lockwood, both 14, since their mother Lisa Marie Presley in a new interview with People, published on Wednesday, February 1.
Navarone, 35, who is also a musician that plays with the band Them Guns, revealed that he’s very close with his late sister’s oldest daughter in the interview, and he revealed that The Runaways actress had been a great older sister to Finley and Harper. “Riley has been so good with the twins,” he told the outlet.
After Lisa’s death, the musician shared an emotional tribute to his sister on Instagram. “I hope you are now at peace and happy with your Dad and your son by your side. I know the past couple years weren’t easy for you, and I wish things had been different between us,” he wrote. “I’m sending love and prayers for your journey home. I still can’t believe this, I’m lost for words. Love you sis.”
Navarone is the younger child of Priscilla Presley, 77. She had him with her ex Marco Garibaldi, 68, in 1987. Priscilla and Marco were in a relationship from 1984 to 2006. In the interview, Navarone opened up about being estranged from his dad and how his mother didn’t play her late ex-husband Elvis Presley’s music until after she split up with Marco. “I think my dad had a bit of a complex about it,” he said. “It wasn’t until after he left that my mom started playing his music again freely.”
Many family members (including Navarone) and friends paid tribute to Lisa Marie after her death at 54 during her funeral at her father’s home in Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee. At the service, Priscilla read a touching poem that Riley had written in memory of her mother. “Mama was my icon, my role model, and my superhero,” she said. “Even now I can’t get across everything there is to be understood and known about her. But as she always said, I’ll do my best.”
Riley’s husband Ben Smith-Peterson also read a eulogy that the actress wrote for her mother. “Thank you for being my mother in this life,” he said in part. “I’m certain I chose the best mother for me in this world and I knew that as far back as I remember you and I remember everything.”
Since Lisa’s passing, Priscilla has also thanked fans for the outpouring of support that they’ve given the family. “I’m truly overwhelmed with your words, your prayers, your love, and your support. Thank you from the bottom of my heart in trying to help me get through this loss,” she wrote in a tweet after the funeral.