Lisa Marie Presley’s memoir, From Here to the Great Unknown, offers an intimate look into her relationship with Michael Jackson. The memoir was released posthumously with help from her daughter Riley Keough and provides many details about Lisa’s life, including her time with Michael Jackson, to whom she was married from 1994 to 1996.
One of the most surprising revelations in the book is Michael Jackson’s confession to Lisa Marie that he was still a virgin at 35 when they first got together. According to Lisa Marie, despite Michael’s well-known associations with women like Tatum O’Neal and Brooke Shields, those relationships never went beyond a kiss.
Michael even told her that Madonna had once tried to initiate a romantic relationship with him, but nothing physical happened. Lisa Marie admitted in her memoir that she was apprehensive about this revelation, fearing she might do something wrong in their developing relationship.
The couple’s relationship began while Lisa Marie was still married to her first husband, Danny Keough, with whom she shared two children, including their late son Benjamin Keough. Their connection to each other was strong, and it led to a marriage proposal from Michael during a trip to Las Vegas. During that trip, he openly declared his love for Lisa, telling her he wanted to marry her and start a family. Although Lisa Marie didn’t initially know how to respond, she eventually realized that she was falling in love with him too.
Lisa Marie and Michael’s marriage was filled with public scrutiny and speculation. Many people questioned their relationship, often wondering if it was genuine or a publicity stunt. Despite the criticisms, Lisa Marie’s memoir reveals that she genuinely loved Michael and tried to understand his complicated life. She described her role in the relationship as a supportive partner who was trying to guide Michael away from the negative influences that surrounded him at the time.
Their marriage ended in 1996, and they went their separate ways, but the bond they shared seemed to leave a lasting impression on both of them. After Lisa Marie’s death in 2023, members of Michael Jackson’s family expressed their sorrow.
His sister, La Toya Jackson, remembered Lisa fondly in her tribute, highlighting how much Lisa Marie loved her brother and how their connection impacted their lives. She thanked Lisa Marie for her honesty and the genuine love she brought into Michael’s life.
Michael Jackson’s estate also released a heartfelt statement, expressing their sadness over her passing. The co-executors of the estate, John Branca and John McClain, reminisced about the special bond Michael and Lisa shared, which was most notably captured in the music video for Michael’s song “You Are Not Alone.” They expressed gratitude for the love and support Lisa Marie gave to Michael during their time together.
While much of the memoir focuses on Lisa Marie’s relationship with Michael Jackson, it also delves into her life as the daughter of Elvis Presley. Lisa Marie’s daughter, Riley Keough, spoke about the memoir’s purpose, explaining that it was her mother’s way of revealing her true self beyond the public’s perception. Riley wanted to ensure that the book depicted her mother as a three-dimensional person, full of complexities and emotions, rather than just the daughter of a rock ‘n’ roll legend.
Lisa Marie was constantly in the public eye because of her famous father, Elvis Presley, and her associations with other celebrities. Yet, Riley emphasized that the memoir was meant to show the world who Lisa Marie really was—a loving mother, a talented singer, and a woman who faced many challenges in her life. Riley said that her mother’s intention was to give readers an honest glimpse into her soul, far beyond the headlines and controversies that followed her.
The memoir captures Lisa Marie’s essence as someone who was much more than just a celebrity or a public figure. It portrays her as a dedicated mother to her children, a friend who was fiercely loyal, and an artist who often felt misunderstood by the world. Riley hoped to honor her mother’s legacy by completing the memoir in a way that stayed true to Lisa Marie’s voice and her desire to tell her story authentically.
Lisa Marie’s life was filled with both triumphs and struggles, from her marriages to her music career and her efforts to maintain her father’s legacy. Her connection to Michael Jackson is just one part of her story, but it is a significant one that shaped her in many ways.
The memoir aims to provide readers with a deeper understanding of Lisa Marie’s life journey, including her loves, losses, and the challenges she faced as she tried to find her own path in a world that constantly scrutinized her every move.
Ultimately, From Here to the Great Unknown serves as a testament to Lisa Marie Presley’s complex and multifaceted life. It is a story of love, heartbreak, resilience, and the quest for authenticity in a world that often reduces people to one-dimensional characters.
Through her words and with the help of her daughter Riley, Lisa Marie’s legacy lives on as a woman who was much more than just the daughter of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll or the ex-wife of the King of Pop; she was a person who strived to live her truth, no matter the cost.
