Austin Butler “will forever cherish” the time he spent with Lisa Marie Presley before her sudden death on Jan. 12.
“My heart is completely shattered for Riley, Finley, Harper and Priscilla at the tragic and unexpected loss of Lisa Marie,” the “Elvis” actor said in a statement to E! News on Friday, referring to the singer’s daughters and mother.
“I am eternally grateful for the time I was lucky enough to be near her bright light and will forever cherish the quiet moments we shared,” he continued. “Her warmth, her love and her authenticity will always be remembered.”
Butler’s tribute comes just days after he accompanied Lisa Marie to the 2023 Golden Globes, where he snatched the award for Best Actor in a Drama for his role in her father’s biopic movie, “Elvis.”
Lisa Marie Presley 1968-2023
In fact, in his acceptance speech, Butler, 31, managed to tell Lisa Marie and her mother, Priscilla, just how much they meant to him.
“Thank you guys, thank you for opening your hearts, your memories, your home to me,” he said in Elvis’ signature Southern drawl as the two women watched proudly. “Lisa Marie, Priscilla, I love you forever.”
However, fans expressed their concern for Lisa Marie after they noticed she seemed off-balance and needed help to get around.
The celebration quickly turned into mourning as Lisa Marie, who was 54, was rushed to the hospital Thursday after going into cardiac arrest.
The “Lights Out” songstress “coded multiple times” and was put into a medically-induced coma before her mother, 77, confirmed that her “beautiful daughter Lisa Marie has left us.”
“She was the most passionate, strong and loving woman I have ever known.”
The singer is survived by daughter Riley, 33, whom she shared with ex-husband Danny Keough. She also shared 14-year-old twins, Finley and Harper, with her fourth ex-husband, Michael Lockwood.
Lisa Marie also shared son Benjamin with Danny. However, he died by suicide in 2020.
On Friday, sources told Page Six that Lisa Marie will be laid to rest next to Benjamin and her father, Elvis, at Graceland in Tennessee.