Over the weekend, it was revealed that actress Riley Keough, the daughter of Lisa Marie Presley and Daniel Keough, had become a mother. During a memorial service at Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee for Riley’s mother, who passed away on January 12, 2013, Riley’s husband Ben Smith-Petersen revealed the news in a tribute speech.
Speaking in place of his wife, Ben read, “I hope I can love my daughter the way you loved me, the way you loved my brother and my sisters. Thank you for giving me strength, my heart, my empathy, my courage, my sense of humor, my manners, my temper, my wildness, my tenacity. I’m a product of your heart, my sisters are a product of your heart, my brother is a product of your heart.” No details were shared about Riley and Ben’s daughter though a rep for the couple confirmed that their daughter was born in 2022.
The Terminal List star was first introduced to Ben, a stunt performer, in 2012 on the set of Mad Max: Fury Road. The couple began dating a year later while doing reshoots for the film in Australia. They announced their engagement in 2014 and tied the knot one year later in February 2015. The granddaughter of Elvis Presley married Ben first in a small ceremony in Nepal, where they were building a school. Riley shared at the time, “The families knew we were getting married and they said, ‘Let us throw you a Hindu wedding.’ It was so beautiful and, in some ways, that wedding was a little more intimate and really special. That wedding, I cried.”
The couple later hosted a larger ceremony in Napa Valley, Calfironia surrounded by family and friend. Of this wedding, the actress revealed. “At my bigger wedding I was a little nervous, I wasn’t as present. But it was still equally as amazing.” In a 2022 essay for Vogue Australia, Riley gushed about her husband of 7 years writing, “My husband is such a good person. He’s calm and loyal and strong and sensitive. He’s my best friend.”
Congratulations to Riley and Ben on becoming parents! We hope they are enjoying their new role with their daughter.
Kate Fann (she/her) is the BabyNames.com celebrity blogger, as well as an established content writer, aspiring author, and social media expert. She has been featured in online publications such as Bolde, ManoByte, Medium, The Social Observer, and more. Kate has ghostwritten numerous romance novels and is currently working on publishing her own works in the Young Adult genre.
Kate lives in East Tennessee with her husband Casey and her two sons, Quinn and Noah. When she's not writing or scrolling Instagram, Kate can be found tasting delicious wines, playing with make-up, baking yummy treats, or hiking the beautiful Smoky Mountains.
