Lisa Marie Presley was married several times to very high-profile men in the entertainment industry over the years, including Michael Jackson and Nicolas Cage. When she married Michael Lockwood, it appeared as though this marriage might go the distance, especially as the 10-year anniversary neared. It was right around that time though that Presley filed for divorce from Lockwood as a result of "irreconcilable differences." But unlike the other divorces that Presley went through, this one would turn ugly and last for years. Perhaps worst of all, however, the former couple's children would be involved.
The divorce paperwork was filed in 2016. During this time, allegations were tossed back and forth between Presley and Lockwood. Amidst these allegations, astronomical financial support was requested by Lockwood. And in response, Presley said that she could not afford any financial support given the "misappropriation" of her once hefty wealth by both Lockwood and a "former business manager."
After it was determined that a postnuptial agreement signed in 2007 was deemed valid, Presley was off the hook for paying Lockwood anything. But the mudslinging just got worse the longer the divorce went on. And in 2017, it all came to a head when Presley made horrifying allegations against Lockwood that would ultimately take their children, Finley and Harper, away from both parents until a proper investigation could be completed and it was determined there was a safe place for the twin girls to live.
Here is information as to why Lisa Marie Presley's twins were removed from her custody and whether they were ever returned.
Finley And Harper Lockwood Were Taken Into DCFS Custody
Just when the press did not think that the divorce between Presley and Lockwood could not get any worse, a bombshell was dropped by Presley. And it was one that would start a chain of events that Elvis Presley's only child never saw coming.
In 2017, Presley's legal team filed documents that stated Presley was contesting Lockwood's request for spousal support given the "disturbing photos and videos of children on his computer." A shocking claim that then had to be investigated to determine if true or false.
Presley claimed Lockwood had "hundreds of inappropriate photos of children." He was also "facing allegations of sexual abuse and neglect."
These claims caused the Department of Children and Family Services to get involved. And when they did, they removed Finley and Harper from the custody of both parents until the matter could get sorted.
If Lockwood was the one accused of a crime, then it would make sense for the girls to stay with Presley. However, Lockwood did not take the accusations lying down and used Presley's drug and alcohol abuse history against her, claiming she was not sober.
As such, DCFS had no choice but to take the girls from both parents and put them in the system until a responsible adult could be found to care for them.
Where Finley And Harper Lockwood Resided After DCFS Custody
While the matter of whether Lockwood was guilty of having child pornography and if Presley was fit to care for Finley and Harper, the twin girls did not have to remain in DCFS care. Instead, they found a relative who was happy to take care of them during this dark time; that person was Priscilla Presley.
The same month that Finley and Harper were placed in DCFS care, their grandmother became their primary caretaker. She remained in that position until it was determined that the girls would be safe returning to the custody nearly a year after Presley and Lockwood made allegations regarding one another.
During that time, Priscilla taught Finley and Harper about their grandfather, Elvis, versus just his celebrity so many know about, listened to how the girls were feeling, and what they were thinking. All of which Priscilla said that she came to "value very much."
The twins were allowed to see both of their parents while remaining in the care of Priscilla. This way they did not lose contact. However, for that to happen, investigations into the allegations had to be closed by both Beverly Hills and Tennessee law enforcement.
How Lisa Marie Presley And Michael Lockwood Got Custody Back
Eventually, Presley was able to get custody of Finley and Harper back. But it took time to make this happen.
When authorities determined that Lockwood did not, in fact, have pornography on any of his devices and he was not found to be involved in any abuse, cases in both states against him closed.
As for Presley, she was found to be sober for two years when authorities looked into Lockwood's claims against her. She also was cleared of any abuse claims lauded against her. As such, joint custody was awarded to both parents.
The custody initially was broken down so that Presley had physical custody of the girls and Lockwood had supervised visits with them three days per week.
As battling continued in court, that custody agreement was eventually changed so that Presley had the girls 60 percent of the time and Lockwood had them 40 percent of the time.
At the time of her death, Finley and Harper were living with Presley. It is now rumored that Lockwood will be filing for full custody of the girls. But, sources are claiming that "Riley Keough and Priscilla Presley might make a bid for custody."
More interesting still is that Presley's ex-husband, Danny Keough might try to get custody of the twins as well given that he was living with Presley in her last days and has come to "regard himself as the girls' stepfather."
With how much turmoil Finley and Harper have had in their lives over the past several years, here is to hoping that however this custody battle plays out, it does not cause the girls any more heartache than they have already been subjected to.
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