Lisa Marie Presley was embroiled in a fierce 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, who are now 14 years old. Despite separating in 2016, the couple’s divorce was not finalized until 2021.
Presley died at the age of 54 on January 12 hours after going into ‘complete cardiac arrest’ at his home in Calabasas.
In a statement through his lawyer Joseph Yanny on the death of his ex-wife, Lockwood said: “Michael hoped for a speedy and full recovery because his children needed it.” It is very sad that it did not turn out that way.
Michael’s world has been turned upside down. He is now with his two daughters, ”added Yanny. 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 claimed that he had found a trove of indecent images and videos of children on Lockwood’s computer. The allegations were investigated and no charges were filed.
Presley and Lockwood, a session musician, were married for ten years from 2006 to 2016. In 2008, Presley gave birth to twin girls, Harper and Finley.
Following Presley’s allegations that her estranged husband had a cache of disturbing photos and videos of children on his computer at their home in Tennessee, her twin boys, then eight, were taken into protective custody.
It later turned out to be false and it was revealed that they lived with Priscilla Presley, their grandmother, after their parents separated.
The heiress said in a court filing at the time: “I was shocked, horrified and sick to my stomach.”
Presley, the only son of Elvis Presley, told newspapers that the Beverly Hills Police Department found 80 of Lockwood’s devices during a raid on his home. He added that the police still have them and they have not been fully vetted.
“It is my understanding that the Tennessee police are also conducting an investigation related to the photos and videos that I discovered,” he said, according to the documents.
“I have no idea what else may be on those devices and I fear that there are more and worse images and evidence on these untested devices.
The documents also reveal pending allegations of sexual abuse and neglect by Lockwood.
The documents state, ‘While Defendant [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 petitioner’s mental or emotional calm and, as in Schu, is domestic violence “by a reasonable definition of the finished.”‘
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation investigated the issue, but did not consider the actions to be criminal.
The agency’s public information officer said at the time: “Unless there is new evidence or potential information, we have terminated our involvement in this matter. We have not been able to determine if a crime occurred in Tennessee and therefore do not have an open investigation.”
While Lockwood’s lawyer said Presley’s, statements were ‘inaccurate and one-sided’.
Attorney Jeff Sturman continued: ‘Mr. Lockwood is not going to publicly reveal very negative information about Ms. Presley in order to retaliate. Therefore, while Mr. Lockwood denies the truth of what Ms. Presley decided to put in the press.
Lockwood had been demanding payments from Presley. The couple had a prenuptial agreement during their marriage that prevented Lockwood from claiming financial support from his ex-wife.
The guitarist claimed his ex-wife’s financial situation was better than initially reported, thanks to money raised by her father’s estate and the financial success of the Baz Lurhmann film Elvis.
He went on to portray himself as a starving artist, saying that while he was married to Presley, she forced him to pay for music concerts in order to play music with her for free.
The final agreement was not made public. During a previous custody hearing, Lockwood asked Presley for $40,000 a month. At the time, Presley was also seeking full custody of the couple’s children.
Days after the October settlement, Lockwood remarried, marrying Beauty Beach Lounge stylist Stephanie Hobgood.
His twins served as ‘groom-women’ alongside his ‘best wife’ Jeannia Robinetre at the Presidio Chapel located within Santa Barbara’s El Presidio State Historic Park.
The blonde bride wore a low-cut, long-sleeved Pronovias wedding dress and clutched a bouquet of yellow roses as her father walked her down the aisle.
Fine art photographer Stephen Linsley officiated at the couple’s wedding, who got engaged in December 2018 after a year of dating.
‘It has been said before that it is difficult to put into words what love can mean to a person. What effect does it cause when it is administered or withdrawn? Michael reflected on Instagram.
I offer this photo of Stephanie and I as a snapshot of what love can bring. These are the smiles of two people who have seen the sunrise and the sunset after five years of being together. My heart is complete. Yesterday we shared love and laughter with our friends and family, who have and continue to support and nurture us. Love wins.’
