Benjamin Keough tragically died on July 12 and now his musician friend Brandon Howard is shedding some light on the situation.
Keough, the son of Lisa Marie Presley and the only grandson of the late Elvis Presley, died by suicide in Calabasas, California. He was 27 years old.
Howard told People magazine that Keough sometimes “struggled with depression.” He believed that the coronavirus pandemic “and everything that was happening right now and that everyone was locked in the house” could have affected his mental health. “It takes a lot. I wish I could have been there.”
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Howard also thought that living up to the famous name Presley “absolutely” affected Keough.
“That kind of pressure is definitely a part of what happened,” he described. “It is difficult when you have a lot of pressure with your family and you live up to a name and an image. It is a lot of pressure. It is almost as if you were under pressure to have to be a musician, to have to be an actor. It was good for him to turn around to the world and discover yourself and have your own friends. You never know what triggers it. You never know … It’s so random. “
Howard recalled that Keough was a great supportive friend who always helped out when he could. “It’s always been there for everyone,” said Howard. “In any kind of situation, he would be the one who would crash with you on the couch for weeks until you really feel better.”
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The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed to Fox News on Tuesday that Keough’s cause of death is an “intraoral shotgun wound.”
Presley reacted to her son’s death in a statement through his manager on Sunday.
“She is completely heartbroken, inconsolable and more than devastated, but she is trying to stay strong for her 11-year-old twins and older daughter Riley,” the statement said. “She adored that boy. He was the love of her life.”
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Keough’s father was musician Danny Keough. He is also survived by his grandmother, Priscilla Presley, his sister Riley Keough, and 11-year-old twin stepsisters Finley and Harper.
If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, contact the National Suicide Prevention Line at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
