Lisa Marie Presley was embroiled in a ferocious custody battle with her ex-husband Michael Lockwood for years after she falsely accused him of having hundreds of images and videos of child pornography on his computer.
Presley and Lockwood, a session musician, were married for ten years between 2006 and 2016. In 2008, Presley gave birth to twin girls, Harper and Finley, now 14. Despite splitting in 2016, the couple’s divorce was not finalized until 2021.
Presley died at the age of 54 on January 12 hours after suffering a ‘full cardiac arrest’ at her home in Calabasas.
In a statement through his lawyer Joseph Yanny on his ex-wife’s death, Lockwood said: ‘Michael had been hoping for a speedy and complete recovery because her children needed her. It is very sad it didn’t turn out that way.’
‘Michael’s world has been turned on its ear. He is with both of his daughters now,’ Yanny added. Presley and Lockwood were believed to have a 60-40 split with Presley paying as little as $4,000 in child support to the guitarist.
In 2017, shortly after the couple announced their separation, Presley made claims that she had found a trove of indecent images and videos of children on Lockwood’s computer. The allegations were investigated and no charges were brought.
Presley and Lockwood, a session musician, were married for ten years between 2006 and 2016. In 2008, Presley gave birth to twin girls, Harper and Finley
Harper and Finley pictured together at the handprint ceremony to honor their grandmother Priscilla in June 2022
Following Presley’s allegations that her estranged husband had a stash of disturbing photos and videos of children on his computer in their home in Tennessee, their twins, then eight, were taken into protective custody.
That later proved to be false and it was revealed that they were living with Priscilla Presley, their grandmother, after their parents split.
The heiress said in a court filing at the time: ‘I was shocked and horrified and sick to my stomach.’
Presley – the only child of Elvis Presley – said in the papers that Beverly Hills Police Department found 80 of Lockwood’s devices during a raid on her home. She added the cops still have them and they have not been fully analyzed.
‘My understanding is that Tennessee law enforcement is also conducting an investigation related to the photos and videos that I discovered,’ she said, according to the documents.
‘I have no idea what else may be on those devices and fear that there are more and worse images and evidence in these un-analyzed devices.’
The documents also reveal pending allegations of sexual abuse and neglect on the part of Lockwood.
The papers state, ‘While the Respondent [Lockwood] has not yet been convicted of crimes related to his possession of these photos, that he possessed them is documented evidence of conduct that has destroyed the mental or emotional calm of Petitioner, and, as in Schu, is domestic violence “by an reasonable definition of the term.”‘
Presley died at the age of 54 on January 12 hours after suffering a ‘full cardiac arrest’ at her home in Calabasas
Lockwood and his daughters Harper Vivienne Ann and Finley Aaron Love at his Santa Barbara wedding to Beauty Beach Lounge hairstylist Stephanie Hobgood in October
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation looked into the allegations but did not deem the actions criminal
No criminal charges were ever been filed in relation to Presley’s allegations.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation looked into the issue but did not deem the actions criminal.
The agency’s public information officer said at the time: ‘Barring any new potential evidence or information, we have concluded our involvement in this matter. We have not been able to determine a crime occurred in Tennessee and accordingly do not have an open investigation.’
While Lockwood’s lawyer said that Presley’s statements were ‘inaccurate and one-sided.’
Attorney Jeff Sturman went on: ‘Mr. Lockwood is not going to publicly disclose very negative information about Ms. Presley to retaliate. Therefore, while Mr. Lockwood denies the truth of what Ms. Presley chose to put in the press.’
Presley and Lockwood worked together musically for free, with him later claiming that she made him work for free
The couple’s legal battles appear to have been settled this past October when they came to came to deal on longstanding issues relating to child support payments, according to Radar Online.
Lockwood had been demanding payments from Presley. The pair had a prenuptial agreement during their marriage which prevented Lockwood from claiming any financial support from his former wife.
The guitarist claimed that his ex-wife’s financial situation was better than first reported, thanks for money raised by her father’s estate and through the financial success of the Baz Lurhmann movie, Elvis.
He went on to portray himself as a starving artist and said that while he was married to Presley, she forced him to turn to paying music gigs in order to play music with her for free.
The final settlement was not made public. During a previous custody hearing, Lockwood asked Presley for $40,000 per month. At that stage, Presley was also seeking full custody of the couple’s children.
Days after the October agreement, Lockwood remarried as he tied the knot with Beauty Beach Lounge hairstylist Stephanie Hobgood.
His twins served as ‘grooms-women’ alongside his ‘best woman’ Jeannia Robinetre at the Presidio Chapel located inside El Presidio de Santa Bárbara State Historic Park.
The blonde bride wore a long-sleeved plunging Pronovias wedding gown and clutched a bouquet of yellow roses as her father walked her down the aisle.
Fine art photographer Stephen Linsley officiated the nuptials for the couple, who got engaged in December 2018 after a year of dating.
‘It’s been said before it’s hard to put into words what love can mean to a person. What effect does it cause when given or withdrawn?’ Michael mused on Instagram.
‘I offer this picture of Stephanie and me as a snapshot of what love can bring. These are the smiles of two people who have watched the sunrise and sunset after five years of being together. My heart is whole. We shared love and laughs yesterday with our friends and family, who have and continue to support and nurture us. Love wins.’
